The Malaysian government has recently decided not to ban all concerts following The 1975’s controversial kiss onstage at the Good Vibes Festival. According to NME, the kiss was shared between singer Matty Healy and his band member Ross McDonald. After the incident, the government announced that concerts must have a “kill switch” function in order to cut off performances that break the government’s guidelines. By using a “kill switch,” organizers can cut off the electricity during a performance if there is an unwanted incident. Additionally, the Malaysian government has also debated whether or not international music artists should be barred from performing in the country.

The debate to ban international music artists from performing has been ruled out. Deputy communications and digital minister Teo Nie Ching announced in the Malaysian parliament that there should not be a punishment for local music fans and other international artists for what another band has done. Ching also claimed that the 1975 allegedly violated several guidelines during their performance. However, she agreed that there was no need to cancel other artists from performing.

When Healy and McDonald shared a kiss during their performance this past July, the remainder of the Good Vibes Festival was later canceled. Furthermore, the 1975 were banned from performing in Malaysia for “non-compliance with local performance guidelines.” In August, organizers of the musical event made an announcement to take legal action against the 1975 for the incident. The LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia also commented on Healy’s kiss with McDonald, agreeing that his kiss would stir up more hardships for them. The 1975 singer also gave a 10-minute speech during his and his bandmembers’ performance in Texas.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna