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Matty Healy had all the right in the world to be an ally for Malaysia\u2019s LGBTQ+ community but the stunt he pulled at Good Vibes Festival? A bull in a china shop. No matter how good his intentions were, a heavy-handed attempt at making a statement will only serve to aggravate an issue that was already close to a boiling point over the years. <\/p>\n
For context, The 1975 lead singer admitted that he \u201cwasn\u2019t looking into it<\/a>\u201d \u2013 that he didn\u2019t do enough research on Malaysia\u2019s homosexuality laws before he made a decision to perform in the country. He goes on a rant about the government\u2019s criminalisation of same-sex relationships, and that it was a \u201cmistake\u201d to even show up. Then, during the performance for \u2018I Like America & America Likes Me\u2019, he kissed his bass player Ross MacDonald onstage (note that it\u2019s illegal to kiss anyone on stage in Malaysia). Finally, 30 minutes into the whole set, he announces that he\u2019s been banned from the country and abruptly leaves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Do I think what he said was wrong? Of course not. The oppression of the Malaysian LGBTQ community over the decades means they need support from any and all allies. However, barging in and swinging your big \u201cwhite saviour\u201d dick is not a conducive way of helping \u2013 it makes it worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n Back in 2019, Matty pulled a similar stunt in Dubai by kissing a male fan onstage. He was able to finish his set and put out a very nice tweet<\/a> about the whole situation. It wasn\u2019t the pissy, alcohol-filled rant that he went on in Malaysia, where he REALLY looked like he didn\u2019t want to be there. What\u2019s the difference between Dubai and Malaysia for you to act so differently, Matty?<\/p>\n Anyway, I digress. <\/p>\n Good Vibes Festival was cancelled DURING The 1975\u2019s set, with a statement from the Ministry of Communications and Digital that they have an \u201cunwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws.\u201d\u00a0A shocking but expected move by a bipartisan government that has its trigger finger ready to shut down anything that their Right-Wing extremist opposition could use against them.<\/p>\n On paper, it sucks cause Malaysian music fans just missed out on a whole weekend of performances while Matty gets to go home and keep touring \u2013 bringing his insufferable persona elsewhere. Now, the people left to deal with the consequences are the country\u2019s already unsafe LGBTQ+ community and artists who need to decide if they should conform to the government\u2019s bullying.<\/p>\n International concerts have always been a huge point of contention, with the country\u2019s more conservative politicians constantly yelling for them to be cancelled<\/a> because of how artists like Blackpink or Coldplay, in their words, potentially \u201cnurture a culture of hedonism and perversion<\/a>\u201d with how much they appeal to or show support to their LGBTQ fanbase.\u00a0<\/p>\n These very same politicians are part of the biggest party in Malaysia\u2019s parliament right now<\/a>, PAS, and this controversy only gives them more ammo double down on anti-LGBTQ sentiments. It\u2019s likely that Good Vibes Festival 2023 will go down as a scapegoat for these politicians to heavily restrict international acts or even ban them outright \u2013 a political tool handed to them on a silver platter by Matty Healy.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I\u2019m really afraid of is whether this might start a snowball that will end up consuming Malaysia\u2019s local music scene. Concerts are the commercial lifeblood of any artist, and it\u2019s likely that to continue playing gigs they\u2019ll have to follow every whim and rule that the government decides to enforce. Granted, some of the best art in the world had been made under the most restrictive circumstances \u2013 but Malaysia has never been too hot on supporting local talent, to the point of international fame at least. If artists will have to continue sacrificing their integrity to put food on the table, where will that leave us?<\/p>\n In 2022, the state of Kedah banned all concerts and festivals<\/a> that could go against local norms and influence people to commit unruly behaviour. The \u201cbehaviour\u201d in question that sparked this? Young people dancing<\/a> at a music festival championing local bands \u2013 an action that Kedah\u2019s chief minister believes \u201cbreak the local societal norms must not be allowed to spread\u201d. <\/p>\n Kedah has long been one of the country\u2019s more conservative states, and it shows that they\u2019re not above blanket banning events that could potentially<\/em> go against religious values and sentiments. Though I don\u2019t believe that this is going to happen in the other Malaysian states just yet, this recent Good Vibes Festival controversy might mean that it\u2019s not a far-flung fantasy either.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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