I guess we need to buy new music from The 1975 after this showing of allyship.
The band, most known their 2013 hit ‘Chocolate,’ took a dig at Malaysia’s anti-LGBT legislation during a gig on Friday. Indonesia and Taiwan were also caught in the crossfire. What resulted is a swift cancellation of their upcoming shows in those countries.
The intended fiasco was brought on by, of course, a same sex-kiss between heterosexual bandmates as a sign of solidarity.
On July 21, the band was playing their set when the scene unfolded. While taking the stage in Kuala Lumpur, lead singer Matt Healy went into a justified tirade before locking lips with bass player Ross MacDonald in front of the sold-out crowd.
According to a pull quote from BBC, Mr. Matt Healy said:
I don’t see the fucking point. I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with. So, unfortunately you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m fucking furious. And that’s not fair to you, because you’re not a representative of your government. Because you’re young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool.
The band, also comprised of guitarist Adam Hann and drummer George Daniel, were pulled from stage just 30 minutes later and banned from playing in the country ever again. The decision was reportedly made by Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Content as part of an “unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws,” according to the BBC.
In Malaysia, it is illegal to be gay and can result in punishment of up to 20 years in prison. Indonesia has some anti-gay legislation, but not nearly as severe. Tiawan appears to be LGBT friendly, but maybe they just got caught up in the shitstorm.
The 1975 have released four albums and four EPs since debuting in 2012. While they’re mostly known on the rock charts in America, they’re thoroughly embraced in the UK with over eleven top 40 hits. That means there’s plenty of songs for you to stream on Spotify to help them make back the money they lost from these gigs.
Thank you for the allyship, men! That’s how you use a platform to do something good.
Source: BBC
Love that he said “I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool.” Because I was there with 10 of my closest gay friends & we had a blast.