PETALING JAYA: The organiser of Good Vibes Festival has filed a lawsuit against 1975 and all its members following their controversial antics at the festival last year.
According to American entertainment magazine Variety, organisers Future Sound Asia is seeking USD$2.4 million (RM11.2 million) after the band’s behaviour resulted in the festival’s abrupt shut down.
It was also reported that The 1975 and their management team were aware of the numerous prohibitions the band had to abide by in order to perform in Malaysia, as claimed in the court documents filed by festival organisers Future Sound Asia in the UK High Court.
The organisers also pointed out that The 1975 had previously performed at the festival back in 2016 and were informed of the prohibitions then.
The band was also reminded multiple times again ahead of last year’s performance.
These prohibitions included swearing, smoking and drinking on stage, taking off clothes and talking about politics or religion.
Further guidelines issued by the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL) included a ban on “kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves.”
The band agreed to abide by the rules and was paid $350,000 (RM1.6 million).
As quoted by Variety, the lawsuit claims that the night before the festival, the band decided they “should not perform at the music festival” and discussed what action to take before changing their mind and agreeing to go ahead with the performance.
READ MORE: Music Malaysia fully supports stern action against The 1975 for distasteful behaviour
In protest, they decided to play “a completely different setlist” and “act in way that were intended to breach the Guidelines” including Healy making a “provocative speech” and taking part in a “long pretend passionate embrace” between Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald “with the intention of causing offence and breaching the regulations and the terms of the agreement”.
Part of the plan was also to smuggle a bottle of wine onto the stage next to the main drum kit so Healy “could have easy access.”
Healy was also accused in the lawsuit of acting “in a drunken way,” smoking cigarettes “appear[ing] to vomit on the stage and/or grunt and spit excessively including towards the audience,” delivering a “profanity-laden speech” and deliberatively damaging a video drone hired by the festival organisers.
Following the kiss between Healy and his bassist, PUSPAL officers had ordered the band to stop their performance at which point Healy was “very aggressive” towards them, the lawsuit alleges, “swearing at them and others” to the point that he had to be restrained by his managers.
The lawsuit also stated the the band and their management had “rushed to their hotels” to collect their luggage immediately after leaving the festival so they could eave the country the first thing the following morning as quickly as possible as they were aware the performance had breached the law.
The band have not yet filed a defence to the lawsuit.
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