Muse Adjust Setlist In Malaysia Following The 1975 Controversy

Muse removed the track, We Are Fucking Fucked, from their setlist at National Stadium Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday (29 July), in accordance with the country’s laws and following a recent controversy involving The 1975.

Ten days ago, The 1975 had their headlining set at Good Vibes Festival cut short after singer Matty Healy kissed his bandmate, Ross MacDonald, on stage and broke the Malaysian penal code, which effectively outlaws same-sex relationships and sexual activity, criminalising “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”.

Protesting the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, Healy said, “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.”

The following day, the remainder of the festival was cancelled. Muse is the first Western band to perform in Malaysia following the controversial incident, which led the Malaysian government to discuss tightening entry requirements for touring artists.

“They called us shortly after the incident went global,” Adam Ashraf, founder of Hello Universe, the group promoting Muse’s Will Of The People tour in Asia, said in a statement to Rojak Daily.

“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.”

Muse still played some of their call-to-arms, anti-authoritarian government songs, including Resistance, Compliance, Will Of The People, Won’t Stand Down, and Uprising.

Since news of Muse removing a song from their setlist in Malaysia surfaced, Matty Healy, of course, had something to say.

Sharing a screenshot of a Muse pre-order that said, “Join the resistance” on his Instagram stories, Healy commented, “Sick”. He then shared NME’s headline that said Muse adjusted their setlist and said, “… Oh”, seemingly disappointed by the band’s Compliance.

Muse last toured Australia in December 2017, with The Music’s Bryget Chrisfield writing about their Rod Laver Arena show, “It goes without saying that Muse are victorious. True to form, they present us with shit we've never seen before: the screens move around the stage, the lighting rig moves up and down - what next? The band also play with baffling flawlessness.”