Muse performed a revised setlist in Malaysia one week after the country’s government prematurely canceled a performance by The 1975.
The revision was announced via concert promoter Hello Universe ahead of Muse’s show on July 29th at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium as part of their ongoing “Will of the People” world tour. Concert organizer Adam Ashraf told Rojak Daily, “They called us shortly after [The 1975] incident went global. 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 ended up swapping out “We Are Fucking Fucked,” from their 2022 LP Will of the People, and replacing it with “Resistance,” from 2009’s The Resistance.
The 1975 saw their set at Kuala Lumpur’s Good Vibes Festival abruptly due to frontman Matty Healy’s on-stage antics, which included visibly drinking, destroying a festival drone, and kissing bassist Ross MacDonald despite the country’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
In response to Muse’s setlist alteration, Healy posted two screenshots on his personal Instagram Story. The first was a repost of a Muse pre-order message that read “Join The Resistance” with Healy adding “Sick” above it. In the next, he shared an article by NME covering Muse’s setlist self-censorship along with his caption saying “…oh.”
Healy may have a point when it comes to the odd juxtaposition of Muse’s typically anti-authoritarian lyrics and their decision to capitulate to government standards, yet he has not been above scrutiny for his own form of protest just one week ago. The singer was criticized by the Malaysian LGBTQ+ community for potentially putting locals at risk, and the band now faces a class-action lawsuit from artists and vendors affected by the festival’s early termination (The 1975 were headlined the first night of the 3-day event).