Anti-Trump rock star's vow to ditch politics at shows doesn't seem to last very long
Matty Healy, lead singer for the British rock band The 1975, told fans at the Glastonbury Festival set on Friday night that the group would no longer be infusing politics into their live performances. Despite Healy's assertion, politically charged visuals soon appeared.
The rocker addressed the crowd after their opening tracks and noted that while some may be disappointed in the "lack of politics" during their set, telling fans the band wants to move on and ensure their legacy "won't be one of politics."
"People who are watching this may — I don't know — they may be disappointed in the lack of politics in this show and our forthcoming shows and probably our future shows. I want you to know that it's a conscious decision," he told the crowd. "We honestly don't want our legacy to be one of politics. We want it to be that of love and friendship. I'm not trying to be too earnest, but you can go out into the world and there's loads of politics everywhere. And I think we don't need more politics. We need more love and friendship."
The singer called his comments "really basic," but lobbied the audience to "aspire to this level of friendship."
Following the speech, it only took the band one song before politics made an appearance.
As noted by Variety, "Love It if We Made It," one of the band's most politically charged songs, was accompanied by a montage displaying images of President Donald Trump, Kanye West and depictions of the plights of immigrants.
Healy, who is an ex-boyfriend of Taylor Swift, is no stranger to controversy. He landed the group in hot water in 2023 after he kissed the band's guitarist, Ross MacDonald, on-stage in Malaysia to protest the country's anti-LGBTQ laws.
Not only did the moment result in the three-day festival they were playing at being canceled and the band being banned from performing in Malaysia, it may have had a negative impact on the country's LGBTQ-identifying citizens.
As reported by Variety, some locals feared that the band's actions could lead to a further crackdown by the government on its gay citizens.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for the band told Variety: "Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community."
According to the entertainment site NME.com, Healy cried when Trump won in 2016. He added, "I was tired and we felt a bit defeated."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
30 minutes ago
- CNN
UN nuclear watchdog chief says Iran could again begin enriching uranium in ‘matter of months'
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog says US strikes on Iran fell short of causing total damage to its nuclear program and that Tehran could restart enriching uranium 'in a matter of months,' contradicting President Donald Trump's claims the US set Tehran's ambitions back by decades. Rafael Grossi's comments appear to support an early assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, first reported on by CNN, which suggests the United States' strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites last week did not destroy the core components of its nuclear program, and likely only set it back by months. While the final military and intelligence assessment has yet to come, Trump has repeatedly claimed to have 'completely and totally obliterated' Tehran's nuclear program. The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran began earlier this month when Israel launched an unprecedented attack it said aimed at preventing Tehran developing a nuclear bomb. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The US then struck three key Iranian nuclear sites before a ceasefire began. The extent of the damage to Tehran's nuclear program has been hotly debated ever since. US military officials have in recent days provided some new information about the planning of the strikes, but offered no new evidence of their effectiveness against Iran's nuclear program. Following classified briefings this week, Republican lawmakers acknowledged the US strikes may not have eliminated all of Iran's nuclear materials – but argued that this was never part of the military's mission. Asked about the different assessments, Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS's 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan': 'This hourglass approach in weapons of mass destruction is not a good idea.' 'The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,' he told Brennan, according to a transcript released ahead of the broadcast. 'It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage,' Grossi went on to say. 'Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' Grossi also told CBS News that the IAEA has resisted pressure to say whether Iran has nuclear weapons or was close to having weapons before the strikes. 'We didn't see a program that was aiming in that direction (of nuclear weapons), but at the same time, they were not answering very, very important questions that were pending.' CNN has asked the White House for comment on Grossi's claims. Grossi stressed the need for the IAEA to be granted access to Iran, to assess nuclear activities. He said Iran had been disclosing information to the agency up until recent Israeli and US strikes, but that 'there were some things that they were not clarifying to us.' 'In this sensitive area of the number of centrifuges and the amount of material, we had perfect view,' he said. 'What I was concerned about is that there were other things that were not clear. For example, we had found traces of uranium in some places in Iran, which were not the normal declared facilities. And we were asking for years, why did we find these traces of enriched uranium in place x, y or z? And we were simply not getting credible answers.' The initial Pentagon assessment said Tehran may have moved some of the enriched uranium out of the sites before they were attacked but Trump has insisted nothing was moved. 'It's logical to presume that when they announce that they are going to be taking protective measures, this could be part of it (moving the material). But, as I said, we don't know where this material could be, or if part of it could have been, you know, under the attack during those 12 days,' Grossi told Brennan. Meanwhile, Tehran has made moves towards withdrawing from international oversight over its nuclear program. Iran's parliament passed a bill halting cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, while the Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also said that the country could also rethink its membership of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which prohibits signatories from developing nuclear weapons. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed reporting.
CNN
33 minutes ago
- CNN
UN nuclear watchdog chief says Iran could again begin enriching uranium in ‘matter of months'
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog says US strikes on Iran fell short of causing total damage to its nuclear program and that Tehran could restart enriching uranium 'in a matter of months,' contradicting President Donald Trump's claims the US set Tehran's ambitions back by decades. Rafael Grossi's comments appear to support an early assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, first reported on by CNN, which suggests the United States' strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites last week did not destroy the core components of its nuclear program, and likely only set it back by months. While the final military and intelligence assessment has yet to come, Trump has repeatedly claimed to have 'completely and totally obliterated' Tehran's nuclear program. The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran began earlier this month when Israel launched an unprecedented attack it said aimed at preventing Tehran developing a nuclear bomb. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The US then struck three key Iranian nuclear sites before a ceasefire began. The extent of the damage to Tehran's nuclear program has been hotly debated ever since. US military officials have in recent days provided some new information about the planning of the strikes, but offered no new evidence of their effectiveness against Iran's nuclear program. Following classified briefings this week, Republican lawmakers acknowledged the US strikes may not have eliminated all of Iran's nuclear materials – but argued that this was never part of the military's mission. Asked about the different assessments, Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS's 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan': 'This hourglass approach in weapons of mass destruction is not a good idea.' 'The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,' he told Brennan, according to a transcript released ahead of the broadcast. 'It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage,' Grossi went on to say. 'Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' Grossi also told CBS News that the IAEA has resisted pressure to say whether Iran has nuclear weapons or was close to having weapons before the strikes. 'We didn't see a program that was aiming in that direction (of nuclear weapons), but at the same time, they were not answering very, very important questions that were pending.' CNN has asked the White House for comment on Grossi's claims. Grossi stressed the need for the IAEA to be granted access to Iran, to assess nuclear activities. He said Iran had been disclosing information to the agency up until recent Israeli and US strikes, but that 'there were some things that they were not clarifying to us.' 'In this sensitive area of the number of centrifuges and the amount of material, we had perfect view,' he said. 'What I was concerned about is that there were other things that were not clear. For example, we had found traces of uranium in some places in Iran, which were not the normal declared facilities. And we were asking for years, why did we find these traces of enriched uranium in place x, y or z? And we were simply not getting credible answers.' The initial Pentagon assessment said Tehran may have moved some of the enriched uranium out of the sites before they were attacked but Trump has insisted nothing was moved. 'It's logical to presume that when they announce that they are going to be taking protective measures, this could be part of it (moving the material). But, as I said, we don't know where this material could be, or if part of it could have been, you know, under the attack during those 12 days,' Grossi told Brennan. Meanwhile, Tehran has made moves towards withdrawing from international oversight over its nuclear program. Iran's parliament passed a bill halting cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, while the Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also said that the country could also rethink its membership of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which prohibits signatories from developing nuclear weapons. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed reporting.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who are Bob Vylan? The punk duo behind Glastonbury's controversial pro-Palestine chants
Glastonbury is no stranger to political statements, and this year a punk duo grabbed headlines after leading pro-Palestine chants on stage. Here's what you need to know about the breakthrough act shaking up the Left Field stage this weekend. Who are Bob Vylan? Bob Vylan (pronounced villain) are known for their unconventional blend of punk and hip-hop. Formed in London in 2017, the pair have built a cult following with their fiercely political lyrics and incendiary live performances. To protect their identities in what they describe as a surveillance state, they go by Bobby and Bobbie. Their songs contain scathing indictments of the British establishment, racism and inequality, blending punk, grime and hardcore into a sound all their own. They quickly broke through the industry's glass ceiling, winning Best Album at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards and landing in the UK Top 20 — an impressive feat for such a divisive sound. 'The band has gotten itself to a point where you can't really ignore us,' the vocalist told DIY magazine. What happened at Glastonbury? The duo performed on Saturday afternoon on the Left Field stage, a venue associated with radical politics. During their set, Bobby Vylan launched into a powerful polemic against political leaders for 'complicity in genocide', leading a chant of 'Free Palestine' and 'Death to the IDF.' The moment quickly spread across social media, with pro-Israel voices branding the duo as 'anti-Semitic.' As a proud Zionist, I wouldn't feel welcome at Glastonbury this year. This is the state of Britain's biggest music festival. A platform for extremists — Bella Wallersteiner 🇺🇦 (@BellaWallerstei) June 27, 2025 Others believe that the performance is making 'the right people' uncomfortable, responding: 'You wouldn't be welcome, and you, as a Zionist, are in fact the extremist. ' This comes following the legal trouble facing Irish rave-rap group Kneecap, who face terrorism charges after their controversial anti-Israel comments at Coachella. The controversy surrounding Kneecap led the BBC to decide not to air their performance, instead opting for Bob Vylan, which turned out to be equally inflammatory. Following the performance, news broke that police are assessing videos of both Kneecap and Bob Vylan. Some pundits have branded the reaction as 'utter hysteria' and serving as pure distraction from the suffering taking place in Gaza. This is utter hysteria. To state the obvious: Almost 60,000 people are recorded to have been killed by Israel in Gaza (the true number will be many times higher) and 17,000 of them are children. But Kneecap, Bob Vylan, hurty words. It would be funny if it wasn't so shameful. — Barry Malone (@malonebarry) June 28, 2025 What else do they stand for? Bob Vylan's entire identity is rooted in protest. Their lyrics cover all manner of topics, from police brutality and the legacy of colonialism to gentrification and mental health challenges. In their song Britain Makes Me Violent, Bobby insists there's 'nothing great' about Great Britain. On Reign, the vocalist advocates for repatriation: 'Got a message for the thieves in the palace, we want the jewels back.' On GYAG, the singer takes a shock approach to the London housing crisis, saying 'Landlord just raised your rent / Mate, get yourself a gun', stemming from his own experience with a newborn under a cruel landlord. The provocative lyrics, they explain, are simply a reaction to a state that enables systematic mistreatment. He told The Guardian: 'I'm not saying it for the purpose of purely being provocative. It's just what I feel.' Following the provocative Glastonbury show, Bobby Vylan appeared relaxed eating an ice cream, while he said: 'Zionists are crying on socials.' Bob Vylan just posted this on his Instagram😂 — Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 28, 2025
