Summary
Ego is not a dirty word in a documentary that tries to tackle the man, the myth, the legend that is Australian music icon Michael Gudinski.
If you’re a fan of Australian music from any time in the last forty years or so, chances are pretty good you’ve heard of record executive and promoter Michael Gudinski. At the very least you’ve heard one of the artists that he’s either promoted, signed, or toured in Australia. A larger than life figure, his passing in 2021 marked the end of an era.
Director Paul Goldman (Suburban Mayhem) attempts to tackle the entirety of this enterprise, no small feat given that his subject barely seemed to be able to fit everything he wanted to do into any given day. In defiance of his parents, Jewish Russian immigrants who didn’t see the value in the music business, we get some great historical photos and footage of his Magical Mushroom Mansion hangouts, the Sunbury Festival and ultimately founding Mushroom Records in the early 1970s.
After massive successes with Skyhooks and Split Enz, just as Neil Finn broke through as a co-frontman of the band, Gudinski never sat on his laurels. What Goldman creates is a portrait of a fan of Australian music first, one who relentlessly attempted to share that with the world.
If any proof was needed of the impact of his career, it’s in the calibre of the interviews Goldman has assembled. From local legends Paul Kelly, Tim and Neil Finn, Christine Anu, and Jimmy Barnes to international stars Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Sting, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Butch Vig, Shirley Manson and Billy Joel, earnest and gushing praise is mixed with frank and revealing anecdotes. Gudinski himself, along with close friends and family, were extensively interviewed in recent years as well, and having Gudinski’s own voice present makes all the difference.
In the spirit of its subject, the documentary is in constant movement, never lingering long on any particular artist or achievement. Occasionally, this is a little bit frustrating — after all, whole documentaries could be told on the First Nations musicians alone, for example. Yet, if the legends are true, this would have been exactly the kind of presentation the man himself would gel with. “He’s always had this guilt he could be doing more,” says one interviewee.
Goldman’s film stylistically follows this thought process, frequently using split-screen images to get multiple things on the screen at the same time. Occasionally this is used to amusing effect, such as three people separately claiming the idea behind one of Gudinski’s initiatives. There’s also effective use of Dadaist style animation for cutaways and stories that don’t have relevant footage. Although this is rarely an issue given the sheer amount of acts that came in and out of his life.
Indeed, it’s barely possible to talk about all of this in a single review. Goldman takes us through the ups and downs of his career, with raw admissions including the depression that surrounding the sale of Mushroom to News Corp. We see his comeback, and more recent friendships with Vance Joy, Temper Trap and Ed Sheeran and beyond to the COVID pandemic, with Gudinski’s tireless attempts to keep live music alive through initiatives like Music for the Home Front.
While it’s difficult to sum up the legacy of an intensely eclectic career in a single film, the footage of the honour guard in Melbourne following Gudinski’s death is just one small demonstration of that. By the end of the film, you’ll no doubt be seeking out of the Australian artists mentioned and being excited about a new era of live music. Which is about the most Gudinski outcome you could possibly have from a documentary.
2023 | Australia | DIRECTOR: Paul Goldman | WRITERS: Bethany Jones, Paul Goldman, Sara Edwards | CAST: Michael Gudinski, Paul Kelly, Tim and Neil Finn, Christine Anu, Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Sting, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Butch Vig, Shirley Manson and Billy Joel | DISTRIBUTOR: Melbourne International Film Festival, Mushroom Studios | RUNNING TIME: 111 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 3 – 20 August 2022 (MIFF), 31 August 2023 (AUS)
