FUTURE Sound Asia (FSA), the organiser of the Good Vibes Festival (GVF), said it was put in a spot after The 1975 band broke its promise to adhere to local performance guidelines.

FSA founder and director Ben Law apologised to ticket holders, vendors, sponsors and partners involved with the festival, which was cancelled after the rude show from the band’s frontman Matt Healy.

“Prior to the festival, British band, The 1975’s management team reassured us that Healy and the band would adhere to local performance guidelines.

“Regrettably, Healy did not honour these assurances, despite our trust in their commitment.

“His actions took us by surprise, and we halted the show as promptly as possible following the incident.

“Healy’s unprofessional behaviour and defiance of laws and regulations are disturbing and that he chose to use his performance as a platform to express his personal views, rather than delivering the quality show his fans were anticipating.

“This act is unfair to fans who were looking forward to enjoying a memorable music experience,” Law was quoted as saying by The New Straits Times in a report today.

Law said the company would update ticket holders on refunds as soon as possible.

“Over the past 10 years, we have built GVF to be a uniquely Malaysian platform for enjoyable music experiences.

“This festival is not a transferable franchise, but a brand built from the ground up on Malaysian soil, cultivated by dedication, resilience and financial risk.

“Now, this decade-long labour of love faces an unprecedented threat due to the actions of one individual.

“This is a challenging time for us. The cancellation of GVF is a catastrophic financial blow to FSA.

“However, the repercussions of this incident extends beyond us.

“We fear it will erode the confidence of music promoters and stakeholders in the live entertainment industry in the nation and threaten our burgeoning live arts scene,” he was quoted as saying.

His comments came hours after the government had called off the remainder of the three-day Good Vibes Festival that was to end tomorrow

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the decision was made after a controversial incident involving UK band The 1975 yesterday, which had breached Malaysian laws.

“I want to stress that the unity government’s stand is very clear. No compromise towards anyone who challenges, ridicules and violates Malaysian laws

“I have ordered the immediate cancellation of the rest of the festival that was scheduled to run from today til tomorrow, July 23,” he said in a Facebook post after a meeting with festival organiser Future Sound Asia today.

The performance by The 1975 came under fire after Healy uttered profanities insulting the Malaysian government.

He was seen performing while holding a bottle of wine and a lit cigarette, and spitting on stage during their set last night.

Healy also gave a brief speech that included profanities directed at the government.

He kissed his male guitarist after making the speech and continued performing the last two songs of the night.

The three-day music festival was set to showcase more than 40 acts, international as well as local.

The Central Agency for Application of Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal), said The 1975 is now blacklisted from performing in the country.

Puspal has filed a police report against the UK band and the event organiser for negligence and failure to comply with the conditions set for the group to perform in Malaysia.

“When the application was made, the organisers assured full responsibility for the artistes’ performance. The band’s conduct is an insult to our country’s laws and a violation of Malaysia’s moral values,” it said in the statement. –  July 22, 2023.