Matty Healy: The 1975 will only play gender-balanced festivals

At the music industry’s current state, a future towards gender diversity seem bleak. The Recording Academy’s failure to diversify the talents it chooses to recognize is one of the recent examples of this. Not only that, festivals featuring male-dominated headliners including the Coachella isn’t making things better.

Amid all this, one band is choosing to step up. Frontman Matty Healy confirmed that indie rock band The 1975 will only be playing music festivals featuring a lineup of gender-balanced artists from now on.

Healy made the announcement in response to a tweet from reporter Laura Snapes (The Guardian) calling on male artists to make a move and add inclusion riders to their music festival contracts.

“Take this as me signing this contract – I have agreed to some festivals already that may not adhere to this and I would never let fans down who already have tickets,” the singer wrote. “But from now I will and believe this is how male artist can be true allies.”

https://twitter.com/Truman_Black/status/1227553391460671489

Healy clarified that questions will be raised regarding this decision adding, “I’m sure my agents are having kittens right now but times up man people need to act and not chat.”

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In an interview with The Guardian, Healy elaborated his statement saying:

“It’s not a geopolitical nightmare: it’s the music industry, and it’s something that if everyone gets on board, we can fix.”

The 1975’s latest studio album “Notes on a Conditional Form” will hit the music shelves on April 24. A lineup of concerts is set for the band who will tour with acts from Phoebe Bridgers and beabadoobee.

 

 

Ben Hornery
Ben Horneryhttps://bestinau.com.au
Ben is is a senior journalist and sport columnist for Best in Australia. He previously worked for the BC and other radio stations.
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