The Most Powerful Person In Music: Michael Gudinski’s Back On Top

26 November 2014 | 12:15 pm | Scott Fitzsimons

#1 in the 2014 AMID Power 50

After a year away from the summit Michael Gudinski – a pioneer, icon and legend of the Australian music industry – has been once again named the most powerful person in the business. The lord and master of the mammoth Mushroom Group, which he founded in 1972, Gudinski hasn’t exactly had the smoothest year but his influence, clout and stature is second to none.

Even last year’s number one AJ Maddah foresaw this when speaking to theMusic.com.au: “I’ll keep the spot warm ‘til Michael Gudinski reclaims his rightful place.”

"We had an incredible run with the two Springsteen tours, but the complete blow-out of the Stones."

Mushroom is in a period of transition as Gudinski the elder involves his son Matt Gudinski in more and more of the operations. But there’s also young professionals in all aspects of the business, which seems to be growing exponentially.

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At a glance, the Mushroom Group is home to the following companies – booking agencies Artist Voice, The Harbour Agency and Premier Artists; label and management company Illusive; labels I Oh You, Ivy League, Liberation, Liberator and [PIAS] Australia; festivals Future Music, Good Life and Sugar Mountain; touring companies Frontier and Roundhouse (A Day On The Green); merchandise companies Love Police ATM and Drawing Board; plus Mushroom Music Publishing, Mushroom Marketing, Mushroom Creative, Mushroom Events, Mushroom Promotions, Mushroom Pictures and Intellitix – a provider of radio frequency identification and cashless payment systems at events. There’s not much Mushroom doesn’t touch.

In 2014 at the APRA Awards Mushroom Music Publishing had all five nominees for Song Of The Year, they’ve had back-to-back number one albums from Vance Joy and Jimmy Barnes, have promoted tours by Alt-J, Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age & Nine Inch Nails, Hunters & Collectors, Pharrell, Phoenix, Avicii, Vampire Weekend and Bruce Springsteen; Gudinski himself won the inaugural ARIA Industry Icon Award.

“We had an incredible run with the two Springsteen tours,” he says, “but the complete blow-out of the Stones, which the Americans said couldn’t have been handled [better]. Obviously it could have been a cancellation [but it] went to a postponement.”

"We had a bit of an exploratory year and we learnt a lot."

The Rolling Stones was a huge talking point. Being able to secure the tour in Australia, in conjunction with AEG Live, was a huge coup for even a promoter of Gudinski’s calibre, but no one could have foreseen the fallout. Upon landing in Australia, the crippling news that Mick Jagger’s partner L’Wren Scott had died filtered through and the tour was pulled. All of a sudden Gudinski became a target of the tabloids, with pictures of him leaving the band’s Perth hotel appearing in the press.

“We had a bit of an exploratory year,” says Michael, “and we learnt a lot, but Matt’s really taken the helm of Future [Music Festival] and we’re really operating it. Obviously Brett [Robinson, from Future]’s still involved but Matt’s very hands-on in that project. I think when the line-up comes out people will realise what a statement we’re making and how we’re developing the festival to move with modern times.”

He adds, “We’re getting closer and closer to getting the [AFL] Grand Final right, we’re doing the Australian Open tennis – so we’re building up that side of things. But generally the whole vibe within the place is very, very strong and our biggest mission at the moment is to really take Future and take it up a notch… I’m very, very confident about that.”