LONDON: A judge has ruled that members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally liable for losses incurred by a Malaysian music festival that was shut down after the band's singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage.
The organiser of the Good Vibes Festival is seeking £1.9 million (RM10.5 million) in losses after Healy criticised Malaysia's anti-homosexuality laws and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald during their Kuala Lumpur performance in July 2023.
The Independent reported that Future Sound Asia (FSA), the festival organiser, sued The 1975 Productions LLP for breach of contract.
They argued that the band's four members owed a duty of care. However, the band's lawyer contended that the lawsuit should only target the company, not individual musicians.
Judge William Hansen dismissed claims against the band members, saying they were "bad as a matter of law" and that there was "no good reason" for the case to proceed to trial.
However, he allowed the lawsuit against the company to continue and ordered FSA to pay £100,000 (RM557,224) in legal costs.
The band's attorney, Edmund Cullen, said that the claim was an "illegitimate, artificial, and incoherent" attempt to hold individual band members liable, despite FSA having a contract only with the band's company.
FSA's attorney, Andrew Burns, said that authorities had initially refused to allow the band to perform due to concerns over Healy's past drug addiction and recovery.
However, they later approved the performance after the band assured compliance with guidelines and regulations.
Burns also said that when The 1975 performed at the same festival in 2016, they had agreed to avoid swearing, smoking, drinking, removing clothing, or discussing religion and politics on stage.
Footage of the kiss triggered backlash in Malaysia.
Some LGBTQ+ groups also criticised the band, arguing that their actions endangered the community and disrupted activists' efforts for change. - NST
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