Matty Healy says The 1975 is taking an 'indefinite hiatus of shows' months after he kissed his bandmate and got the group banned from Malaysia

• The 1975 will be taking a break from performing after wrapping up their ongoing tour.
• Frontman Matty Healy said the band "will be going on an indefinite hiatus of shows" on Tuesday.

Pop rock band The 1975 will take an "indefinite hiatus of shows" after wrapping up their ongoing "Still… At Their Very Best" concert tour, according to the band's frontman Matty Healy.

"After this tour, we will be going on an indefinite hiatus of shows, so it's wonderful to have you guys with us tonight," Healy told the audience at a concert in Sacramento on Tuesday.

The English band has become a hotbed of controversy due in part to Healy's behavior on stage.

Healy has been known to invite his fans onstage for a kiss mid-performance.

In November 2022, Healy kissed a female fan in front of a crowd while performing in Las Vegas. Then, in June, he smooched a security guard while performing in Denmark.

And it's not just hugs and kisses for Healy. The 34-year-old once devoured raw meat when playing a gig at Madison Square Garden in November 2022, per Billboard.

But things got out of hand when the band performed in Malaysia in July.

Malaysian officials canceled the remainder of a major music festival after Healy kissed his bandmate, Ross MacDonald, on stage.

Before the kiss, Healy had criticized the Malaysian government for their anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

"I made a mistake when we were booking shows. I wasn't looking into it," Healy told the festival audience. "I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with."

Healy then shared a long kiss with MacDonald, before telling the audience that the group had been banned from performing.

"Okay, we have to go, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur," Healy said before hurriedly exiting the stage.

A representative for Puspal, the Malaysian governing agency that manages applications from foreign artistes to perform in the country, said The 1975 would be banned from playing in Malaysia entirely.

"The ministry will never compromise with anyone who provokes and indulges in indecent acts during their performance in Malaysia," the agency told The Star, a local Malaysian publication.

Some have criticized Healy's actions and slammed him for his insensitivity, considering the conservative aspects of Malaysian society.

"Wow, thanks a lot, The 1975. You have officially made it very difficult for Malaysia to have anymore international concerts," read a post on X, previously known as Twitter.

The festival's organizers are currently seeking $2.7 million in compensation from the band.

The band is currently on the North American leg of their "Still… At Their Very Best" concert tour. The tour, which started this month, will embark on its European leg in February and March 2024, per Billboard.

Representatives for The 1975 did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.