UK Court Rules The 1975 Not Liable For GVF Losses
Organiser FSA has been told to pay over RM550,000 in legal costs.
A London court has ruled that members of British band The 1975 are not personally liable for the financial losses suffered by the Good Vibes Festival (GVF) after lead singer Matty Healy's on-stage actions led to the event's closure
However, the UK High Court has allowed the lawsuit by the festival organiser, Future Sound Asia (FSA), against the band's corporate entity, The 1975 Productions LLP, to proceed, reported CBC.
FSA had sued the band for RM11.2 million in damages, claiming that Healy's actions at GVF 2023 was a breach of their contract as performers at the event.
Healy not only behaved erratically on stage, even smashing a drone, but also publicly criticised Malaysia's anti-homosexuality laws and kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald.
The incident led to authorities cancelling the remaining days of the festival, with the Malaysian government quickly moving to blacklist the band from ever performing in the country.
In his recent ruling, judge William Hansen dismissed claims against the band members, stating that they were "bad as a matter of law" and that there was "no good reason why the matter should go to trial".
He ruled that any liability should fall solely on the band's company rather than its individual musicians. As a result of this decision, FSA has been ordered to pay 100,000 pounds (RM557,460) in legal costs.
The 1975 frontman Matty Healy performing at Good Vibes Festival 2023.
Image via Screenshot/Social media
The lawsuit alleged that The 1975 had breached their contract by failing to comply with festival regulations despite previously agreeing to adhere to them
FSA's lawyer, Andrew Burns, argued that Malaysian authorities initially hesitated to approve the band's performance due to Healy's past struggles with drug addiction.
Approval was only granted after assurances were made that the band would comply with local guidelines.
Burns claimed that when the band performed at GVF in 2016, they had agreed to refrain from swearing, smoking, drinking, removing their clothing, or discussing politics and religion on stage.
However, during their 2023 performance, Healy smuggled wine on stage, made an "obscene speech", and engaged in actions that directly provoked Malaysian authorities. FSA also accused the band of deliberately delivering a "second-rate set of songs" to frustrate the audience.
The 1975's lawyer, Edmund Cullen, dismissed FSA's lawsuit against the individual band members as "illegitimate, artificial, and incoherent". The UK barrister argued that FSA's contract was solely with The 1975 Productions LLP, making the company — not the musicians — legally responsible.
With the case against The 1975 Productions LLP still in progress, FSA's pursuit of damages continues — but for now, the individual members of The 1975 are legally off the hook.
Watch Healy's expletive-ridden speech during GVF 2023:
Read more about the case here:
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