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Music Fests Introduce 'Kill Switch' After The 1975's Controversial Same-Sex Kiss
Organizers of live events in Malaysia are now being told to use a "kill switch" method to discourage controversial behavior from music acts.
Straight musician Matty Healy’s actions are catching up to him — and now they're affecting other musicians as well.
Back in July when his band, The 1975, was performing, Healy, who is known for kissing male bandmates and fans onstage, performed his stunt at the Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia, where homosexuality is illegal.
“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the f***ing point, right? I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” he said on stage at the time.
“I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious, and it’s part of your f***ing government…” he continued. “If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the f***ing mood.”
Healy then shared a kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald.
Official statement from @goodvibesfest pic.twitter.com/XqsWegteWt
— Good Vibes Festival (@GoodVibesFest) July 22, 2023
In response, the country’s Ministry of Communications and Digital canceled the entire rest of the festival, leaving many artists unpaid and fans disappointed.
Now, the government is cracking down even more. Malaysian newspaper The Star reported that concert organizers in the country are now being told to “introduce a kill-switch” as a method to shut down future protests or anti-government messages.
“The government has asked concert organizers to... cut off the electricity supply if there is any unwanted incident (during a performance),” Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said to Parliament on Monday, October 30. “This is a new guideline after the incident (involving The 1975). We hope with stricter guidelines, foreign artists (will respect) local culture.”
She also said that during performances from foreign bands, the government and police will have representatives at concert and music festival venues to monitor them.
Matty Healy is known for his outspoken antics, both on the stage and off. In the last year, he made racist jokes about rapper Ice Spice on a podcast, used an ableist insult in a tweet about the band boygenius, and accused Harry Styles of queerbaiting.
The 1975 announced that they will be going on an “indefinite hiatus” following their current tour.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
