Matty Healy criticises Muse for removing song from Malaysia gig
Matty Healy, the frontman of British band The 1975, has expressed his opinion following the news that rock band Muse had chosen to remove a song from their upcoming setlist for a concert in Malaysia.
The response comes after an incident involving The 1975 and Healy, which led to their prohibition from performing in Kuala Lumpur on July 21st. During the performance, Healy criticised the Malaysian government’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Other incidents from that evening included Healy destroying a drone owned by the festival and kissing his bandmate, bassist Ross MacDonald, on stage.
Healy explained his disapproval, saying: “I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the fucking 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.” This was stated before the controversial on-stage kiss.
The band was headlining the first day of the Good Vibes Festival when this incident occurred. On the following day, July 22nd, the communications minister of Malaysia ordered the cancellation of the remainder of the festival.
Since the controversy, Muse is the first significant international band set to perform in Malaysia. According to an organiser of their upcoming concert, the band has been cautious about aligning their performance with the guidelines set by the country.
Adam Ashraf, founder of concert company Hello Universe, said, “They called us shortly after the incident went global. After discussions, they decided to pull one song out of the setlist due to the title of the song. It’s nice to know they’re eager to entertain while also respecting the guidelines.” He, however, did not reveal the name of the song removed from the setlist.
Healy responded to this news by sharing a post on his Instagram stories. Initially, he shared a screenshot of a Muse pre-order message that reads “Join the Resistance”, underlining the word ‘resistance’, followed immediately after by the news of Muse’s decision to adjust their setlist with his own comment, “Oh…” – suggesting hypocrisy in the band’s approach.
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