The Strokes' frontman: 'We know Malaysians were very disappointed'

Julian Casablancas' comments come in the wake of what would have been the American band's first gig in the country

- Eddino Abdul

The Strokes singer Julian Casablancas is keen on understanding the local culture wherever the American band travel to for concerts.

"People can go into another country and say, 'Oh, this is good, this is bad', but I'm always interested in learning from a neutral perspective, not judging at all," he says in Zoom interview when asked about his experiences touring Asia.

The alternative rock group will perform in Singapore for the first time at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre on Wednesday and Thursday.

The 44-year-old frontman adds: "The more you see another culture differently, it makes you understand humanity better than the arbitrary things you know about your own culture, and understand the universal things better."

Casablancas' comments come in the wake of what would have been The Strokes' first gig in Malaysia on July 23, as part of Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur. They were originally scheduled to be the headliners of the third night of the music festival.

However, the authorities canned the entire event after Matty Healy, singer of British pop-rock band The 1975, slammed the government for its anti-LGBTQ laws onstage and kissed a male bandmate during the group's July 21 set.