It is a dream scenario for Malaysia to host international music festivals and live concerts featuring top-draw artistes in a conducive, even transcendent, venue, fully backed by regulators and fans. But concerts here featuring globally recognised artistes must adhere to rules set by the authorities, given our religious conservatism. Too permissive, too sexy, too queer, too political, too weird, too eccentric, too defiant — these are absolute no-nos. Because of these tough conditions, Malaysia may never host the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Megadeth, Rihanna, gangster rappers or even Beyoncé. Coldplay, which supports the LGBTQ, only made it here through much hand-wringing. In the past, Avril Lavigne had to rein in her in-your-face attitude, Mariah Carey had to tame her trademark sexiness, and Linkin Park had to temper their wild antics, including not wearing shorts on stage.
Either artistes bend backwards in compromise to meet strict conditions or there's no concert to speak of. Hence, many acts avoid Malaysia. They may not impinge on the rules, but their rock and roll spirit makes them rebel against authorities who insist on telling them what they can or cannot do on stage. Music promoters consistently complain about the authorities' inflexibility, but they, too, have learnt to accept reality. Most music promoters have dropped plans to bring in artistes with even a little controversy for fear of political blowback. Those still inclined to bring in global acts will ensure the artistes are squeaky clean. Even then, regulators will insist on a "kill switch" in case the artistes try to inflame fans.
Thank goodness jazz, classical, and worldbeat acts get through, where the "controversy" is usually over the music's arrangement, improvisation, direction, colour, tone, and tempo, never the artistes. The recent Rainforest World Music Festival adheres to the "non-controversial" rule. It sold 35 per cent more tickets this year, boosted by well-known "environmental" acts, though the fact that it was held under Sarawak's jurisdiction, instead of in the peninsula, may have a little bearing. But the live music business, even when it conforms to rules, is not yet a major revenue generator.
Malaysia lost an estimated RM1 billion in potential entertainment tourism receipts in 2023 due to strict rules and religious party protests. Thankfully, Malaysian performers can still make a decent living, tip-toeing around strict rules, but at least they know what to expect. As for foreign musicians who would rather not perform here than give up their right to musical freedom to appease regulators, Malaysian fans have come to terms that they may need to take a trip to a neighbouring country to enjoy their fabulous concerts. The expenses will singe their pockets, but satisfaction is assured as our neighbour sucks in revenue that could have been ours.