Mushroom Group unveils new touring division
Australia’s Mushroom Group is consolidating a number of its leading events and touring businesses under one banner, MG Live.
MG Live will combine specialist promoter brands such as Illusive Presents (hip-hop, rap and R&B), I OH YOU Touring (indie) and Arena Touring (80s heritage acts).
Also included is Roundhouse Entertainment (promoter of A Day on the Green winery events), Good Life Presents (leading under-18 events company), Fridayz Live (a partnership with electronic juggernaut Boiler Room) and more.
The division’s primary focus will be on developing branded events and experiences alongside its domestic and international headline touring, according to a release.
Now deemed Australia’s largest independent touring and events collective, MG Live will deliver a wide range of tours hand in hand with sister company Frontier Touring.
During the last twelve months, the two companies have been responsible for tours including Tyler, The Creator, Fatboy Slim, Ed Sheeran, Billy Joel, Richard Marx, Pavement, Ashnikko, Abbie Chatfield, Joey Bada$$, Vengaboys, J Balvin, Clinton Kane, Channel Tres and Dry Cleaning, selling more than 1.3 million tickets.
MG Live’s primary focus will be on developing branded events and experiences
“Throughout the last eighteen months, we have worked to consolidate a number of Mushroom’s live interests outside of our leading touring business Frontier Touring, which is operated in partnership with global powerhouse AEG Presents,” says Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski. “We looked at how to best move forward with our other specialist touring and leading event companies and decided the time was right to combine their strengths and bring them under one banner.”
MG Live’s upcoming events include Robbie Williams and The Chicks performing at A Day on the Green, as well as tours by 070 Shake, The Teskey Brothers, DMA’S, Valley and Earl Sweatshirt.
News of the new live entertainment company comes a week after Mushroom Group launched new booking agency, MBA.
Mushroom Records was founded by the late Michael Gudinski in 1972, with his group of companies firmly establishing itself as one of the foremost music and entertainment specialists across both Australia and New Zealand.
Matt Gudinski was named Mushroom CEO in April 2021 in the wake of his father’s sudden passing the previous month.
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Mushroom Group launches MBA booking agency
Australia’s Mushroom Group has launched a new booking agency, MBA, in partnership with Guven Yilmaz, formerly of Vita Music Group.
Melbourne and Sydney-based MBA (Mushroom Booking Agency), which will specialise in live bookings and strategy, touring and partnerships, will be led by Yilmaz, whose team includes Shelley Liu, Sam Rogers and ex-Niche agent Matt Thomson, who will head up the Sydney office.
Mushroom Records was founded by the late Michael Gudinski in 1972, with his group of companies firmly establishing itself as one of the foremost music and entertainment specialists across both Australia and New Zealand.
“Mushroom has been esteemed as the independent leader in the Australian music and entertainment industry,” says Yilmaz, who founded Vita in 2015. “Partnering with a company that not only emphasises but promotes an independent entrepreneurial culture was essential to me.”
Matt Gudinski was named Mushroom CEO in April 2021 in the wake of his father’s sudden passing the previous month.
“Matt Gudinski has long been successful in the touring realm, and he’s continued to foster a culture that empowers those he works with,” adds Yilmaz. “There was room for a new and dynamic offering within Mushroom, so partnering with Matt on MBA was incredibly appealing and a natural progression.
“We’re proud to offer the culture and approachability of a more agile business, while providing the resources of a larger one”
“We’re proud to offer the culture and approachability of a more agile business, while providing the resources of a larger one. We’re about ensuring personalised attention from our team, who will work closely with clients to ensure we amplify our artist and manager’s touring strategies.”
The MBA roster includes artists such as 3%, Benson, Conrad Sewell, Hellcat Speedracer, Keli Holiday, Johnny Hunter, Nyxen, Pretty Girl, Kaylee Bell and Skin on Skin.
“We’re delighted to have Guven join the Mushroom family,” adds Matt Gudinski. “He’s a very well respected agent and operator, with an incredible track record to boot. Supported by a first-class team including Shelley Liu, Sam Rogers and Matt Thomson, I am excited about the offering we are going to create for the talent we represent. I look forward to establishing this new agency together with Guven and the team.”
Mushroom Group split from booking firm The Harbour Agency in late 2021 following complaints about management behaviour and workplace culture.
Meanwhile, a new documentary detailing the extraordinary life and career of Michael Gudinski will make its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 10 August, three weeks before its theatrical release across Australia on 31 August.
Entitled Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story the film will feature archive footage and interviews with Gudinski, while artists such as Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Ed Sheeran, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Barnes will talk about the late music mogul’s impact on their careers, as well as on the wider music industry in Australia and internationally.
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Michael Gudinski doc to premiere at Oz film fest
A new documentary detailing the extraordinary life and career of Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski will make its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 10 August, three weeks before its theatrical release across Australia on 31 August.
Entitled Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story the film will feature archive footage and interviews with Gudinski, while artists such as Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Ed Sheeran, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Barnes will talk about the late music mogul’s impact on their careers, as well as on the wider music industry in Australia and internationally.
The documentary will be part of Mushroom’s extended 50th-anniversary celebrations
The documentary will be part of Mushroom’s extended 50th-anniversary celebrations. Gudinski, who died in March 2021, founded Mushroom Records in 1972, with his group of companies firmly establishing itself as one of the foremost music and entertainment specialists across both Australia and New Zealand.
Indeed, such was Gudinski’s legendary status in his native country, that he was honoured with a state funeral in Melbourne, with superstars such as Elton John, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and many more recording tributes to him, while Ed Sheeran attended the memorial service and performed an emotional version of his hit Visiting Hours to honour a man he referred to as his friend and mentor.
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Mushroom Group planning 50th anniversary concert
Australia’s Mushroom Group is to stage a star-studded 50th anniversary concert in November this year.
The Herald Sun reports the “once in a lifetime event” will be held in Melbourne and will feature a “huge line-up of artists”, to be announced in the coming months.
In addition to touring, Mushroom includes record labels and artist services, publishing, merchandising, booking agencies, film and television production, talent management, venues, creative services and a brand agency.
Its anniversary celebrations will also include a documentary on the life and career of legendary Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, who died in 2021, as well as new recordings of iconic Mushroom Records singles, culminating in a Mushroom 50 album. Limited edition merchandise will also be released.
“Mushroom Group’s legacy is something we’re extremely proud of and we have big plans to commemorate it”
“Mushroom Group’s legacy is something we’re extremely proud of and we have big plans to commemorate it,” says CEO Matt Gudinski. “So many amazing people and artists have formed part of our story and this anniversary is about celebrating our history and future.”
Gudinski’s late father formed Mushroom Records and Mushroom Music Publishing in Melbourne in 1972, going on to release its first album in April 1973.
Frontier Touring, founded in 1979, has worked with artists including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters. It merged with AEG Presents in 2019.
The Music Network notes that when Mushroom celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in November 1998, it was up until that point the most attended ticketed concert in Australian history, attracting 73,000 people. The show featured a host of domestic stars including Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Peter Andre and Jimmy Barnes with INXS in the band’s first public performance since the death of frontman Michael Hutchence the previous year.
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Ed Sheeran breaks own Melbourne record
Ed Sheeran has broken his own attendance record at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) by playing to more than 100,000 fans on consecutive nights.
The superstar singer-songwriter performed to a 107,000-strong crowd last Thursday (2 March), topping that 24 hours later when he attracted a 109,500-strong crowd to Friday’s Frontier Touring-presented show. Eminem previously pulled in more than 80,000 punters at the venue in 2019.
“Ed loves to break a record and he’s smashed this one,” says Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, who describes the feat as “phenomenal”.
Earlier in the week, Sheeran paid tribute to his former Australian promoter, Gudinski’s father, Michael Gudinski, after visiting the statue of the late Mushroom Group founder outside Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.
The largest concert ever held in Australia was a free admission show by The Seekers in 1967, which had an estimated 200,000 in attendance
“Toasting a 707 to the big man ahead of playing the biggest ticketed shows ever in Australian history this weekend,” wrote Sheeran on Instagram. “We miss you, you finally got me playing MCG in the round.”
According to Noise11, the largest concert ever held in Australia was a free admission show by The Seekers at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne in 1967, which had an estimated 200,000 in attendance.
Sheeran’s opening night at MCG suffered a technical hitch, however, with some fans initially unable to access their tickets after buying them through Ticketek.
“Ticketek apologises to those fans who experienced a delay in entering the MCG for Ed Sheeran’s concert,” a spokesperson tells the Daily Mail. “A small number of Ticketek App users, who had valid tickets, were unable to retrieve their entry barcode until the issue was resolved.
“We thank fans for their patience whilst Ticketek enabled a solution, which saw all fans admitted prior to the start of the concert.”
Last month, Sheeran also smashed the attendance record at New Zealand’s Sky Stadium, with 48,000 fans flocking to the singer’s sold-out concert, again outselling the previous record-holder Eminem, who attracted 46,474 fans to his March 2019 date.
The Australia/New Zealand leg of the 32-year-old’s +–=÷× Tour (AKA the Mathematics Tour) wraps up this month with nights at Adelaide Oval (7 March) and Perth’s Optus Stadium (12 March).
Last week, Sheeran – who is represented by Marty Diamond of Wasserman Music in North America and Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live for the rest of the world – announced a slate of European indoor shows in support of his upcoming fifth studio album, − (Subtract), out 5 May. He will visit Manchester’s AO Arena (23 March), The O2 in London (24-25 March), Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (28 March), 3Arena Dublin (30 March) and Accor Arena, Paris (2 April).
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Mushroom Group teams on First & Forever festival
Details have been announced of new Australian festival First & Forever, which will celebrate Blak excellence and contemporary First Nations culture and music.
Launched by Mushroom Group, the Victorian government and record label Bad Apples Music, the landmark event will take place at The Gathering Place, Hanging Rock (cap. 18,000) on Sunday 27 November.
Hand-picked by Bad Apples Music founder Briggs, artists will include Baker Boy, Budjerah, Jessica Mauboy, King Stingray, Sycco, Thelma Plum, Alice Skye, Busby Marou and Christine Anu.
“MG got the ball rolling. After he passed, the ball was in my court. I had to take it home”
Briggs reveals the festival came about through a chance meeting with late Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski.
“For years I’d had an idea for a First Nations-led contemporary music festival, something cool and boutique that was really about the music and culture,” he tells Concrete Playground. “When Gudinski called me about a similar idea he’d had, we found this really collaborative working relationship.
“We both had a passionate approach to Melbourne, Victorian music, and amplifying Blakfellas’ stories. MG got the ball rolling. After he passed, the ball was in my court. I had to take it home.”
Briggs co-curated the event with Paul Kelly after Gudinski had previously approached him about the idea backstage at a concert just over a week before he died.
“I said no to Michael many times over the years, and I said yes lots. I’m glad I said yes this last time”
“He was bubbling with ideas for a new project, a big concert with headlining First Nations artists,” says Kelly. “He urged me to get involved. I said no to Michael many times over the years, and I said yes lots. I’m glad I said yes this last time.”
General sale tickets go on sale on 14 October, priced AUD$79 (€52). Proceeds will be split between The Archie Roach Foundation and the Adam Briggs Foundation.
“Once Dad had an idea in his head, there was little chance of him letting it go,” adds Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski. “To see another passion project of his come to fruition makes me very happy. Mushroom has always been a big supporter of First Nations artists for decades, and First & Forever is a celebration of the remarkable talent of this country’s First Nations artists.”
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AEG Global Partnerships expands into Asia Pacific
AEG Global Partnerships has announced an expansion into Asia Pacific (APAC), led by newly appointed vice president Matthew Zweck.
The industry veteran and 10-year AEG Global Partnerships executive will focus on developing strategic partnerships for the company’s portfolio of assets in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Australia.
Based in the company’s Australian headquarters in Melbourne, Zweck and his team will be responsible for sales and servicing of brand collaborations with partners for AEG’s collection of assets in the region.
This includes recently announced projects such as Em Live, a 6,000-seat theatre that will anchor a new entertainment district in Bangkok, as well as new, state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena projects in Nagoya and Osaka, Japan, in addition to a new 20,000-seat arena in Seoul, Korea.
The new regional office will also oversee partnerships and innovative marketing programs for assets such Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and work with JV partner Mushroom for concert tours, festivals and other live entertainment properties produced by Frontier Touring.
Speaking on the expansion, Paul Samuels, executive VP of AEG Global Partnerships, says: “With a world-class network of more than 350 owned and affiliated venues, sports and music brands, our Global Partnerships business is unmatched in terms of our ability to offer partners access to platforms that cut through the clutter and create innovative campaigns and sponsorships that enable brands to build deeper relationships with their customers.
AEG’s Global Partnerships team is responsible for generating more than US$550 million in annual revenues
“Having worked with him for more than a decade, I’m thrilled to announce Matthew’s appointment and excited to see the growth and value he drives on the ground for not only our business, but for our future business partners across APAC.”
AEG’s Global Partnerships team is responsible for generating more than US$550 million in annual revenues and more than US$2 billion in contractually obligated income.
With a dedicated footprint and headcount based in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the expansion of the Global Partnerships team mirrors the overall expansion of AEG’s business into Asia-Pacific.
Adam Wilkes, AEG Asia Pacific president & CEO, says: “The exponential growth of the APAC entertainment market is one I have been privileged to witness first-hand for over two decades. From first entering the market off the back off the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, our Asia Pacific business has gone from strength to strength and as we look to continue our investment footprint in this pivotal region, I am thrilled to have Matthew on hand to lead our Global Partnerships business on this new journey.”
Acting as an internal agency for AEG and AEG Presents, Global Partnerships oversees worldwide sponsorship sales and activation for over 135 properties across five continents, including venues, sports franchises, events, tours, festivals and digital content.
Notable deals include the naming rights of venues such as the O2 and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas – both the Berlin and Shanghai venues – to activations including the annual American Express presents BST Hyde Park festival, Luno presents All Points East and team sponsorship for Eisbären Ice Hockey teams.
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Michael Gudinski statue unveiled in Melbourne
A statue of the late Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski has been unveiled outside Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, part of the Melbourne & Olympic Park precinct.
The life-size statue is in honour of the promoting legend’s contribution to Australia’s music, arts and entertainment industries, Melbourne & Olympic Park venues, and the state of Victoria.
The unveiling, which included speeches from Gudinski’s son, Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, Australian singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes and Dan Andrews MP, premier of Victoria, formed part of the music company’s MG Day – a day-long celebration of Gudinski’s life and legacy.
“My family and I are humbled by this great tribute and recognition of my late father that acknowledges his contribution to the Australian music scene and the city of Melbourne and will stand as a permanent tribute to his legacy and importance to making the Australian music and entertainment landscape what it is today,” says Matt Gudinski.
The sculpture was created by Darien Pullen from local company Meridian Sculptures.
“To have a statue of Michael up here surrounded by the very venues that made Melbourne the home of everything to him seems perfect”
One of the best-known and most-loved figures in the concert business down under for five decades, Michael Gudinski died in his sleep at home in Melbourne last March aged 68.
The long-time ILMC member founded record label and music publisher Mushroom Group at the age of 20 in 1972. Mushroom went on to become Australia’s largest homegrown entertainment company, adding booking agency, merchandise, film/TV production and concert promotion services.
Frontier Touring, founded in 1979, remains Australia’s largest tour promoter, having worked with artists including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters. It merged with AEG Presents in 2019.
“To have a statue of Michael up here surrounded by the very venues that made Melbourne the home of everything to him seems perfect. From here he can hear the roar of the crowds from the MCG,” adds Barnes. “He can see and hear the punters leaving the Rod Laver Arena, or AAMI Park shouting about being at the best show they’ve ever seen. I think that would put a smile on his face. Especially if it was a Frontier show.”
Always Live, an initiative envisioned by the late Michael Gudinski to revitalise Victoria’s live music scene following the Covid shutdown, launched earlier this month.
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Mushroom, AEG unveil Frontier’s new leadership team
Australia and New Zealand’s leading concert promoter, Frontier Touring, has unveiled a new leadership structure for the company.
Frontier says that the new structure has been created to “ensure the legacy, mission, and culture of [the company] is preserved and nurtured” following the passing of its founder Michael Gudinski in March 2021.
The company’s new executive team will comprise four members of the current leadership team, all of whom are elevated to new roles within the company: Dion Brant as CEO, COO Susan Heymann, CMCO Reegan Stark, and CCO Andrew Spencer.
The executive team will report to the Frontier Touring Board, comprised of Jay Marciano (chairman and CEO, AEG Presents and COO, office of the chairman, AEG), Matt Gudinski (chairman and CEO, Mushroom Group) and Dion Brant (CEO, Frontier Touring).
In addition, Adam Wilkes moves to the role of chairman of the Frontier Board in conjunction with his position as president and CEO, AEG Presents Asia Pacific, which he has held since 2016.
“I know Dad’s legacy and the future of Frontier is in safe hands”
In 2019, Frontier (a subsidiary of Mushroom Group) entered into a strategic joint venture with AEG Presents.
Matt Gudinski says: “I couldn’t be happier announcing our new Frontier executive team. Mushroom Group is built on our great people, which is something we’ve always valued first and foremost.
“I’m thrilled that moving forward Frontier will be led by four incredibly dedicated, experienced, and strong leaders in Dion, Reegan, Susan, and Spence, working closely with myself, Adam, and the AEG Presents team.
“Frontier was founded on strong relationships, an artist-first approach and a never-ending passion for music and I know Dad’s legacy and the future of Frontier is in safe hands. There are exciting times ahead for the company.”
Marciano adds: “Michael Gudinski was a man of endless passion, energy, and creativity, with an innate sense for the business, and it was clear no one person could replace him. All of us who worked together on this new structure were bound by the same sense of duty: we’re committed to properly and thoroughly stewarding Michael’s vision for the future of Frontier.”
In the next 12 months, Frontier has shows planned with Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Billie Eilish, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Justin Bieber, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Tame Impala, Wallows, Courtney Barnett, Leon Bridges, Tyler, The Creator, The Killers, Robbie Williams, Lorde and more.
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Gudinski’s ‘Always Live’ initiative set to launch
Always Live, an initiative envisioned by the late Michael Gudinski to revitalise Victoria’s live music scene, will launch with a concert from the Foo Fighters.
The US rock band will perform a one-off concert at the GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Victoria, next Friday (4 March) with an audience of up to 25,000 fans.
The concert will see Foo Fighters become the first major international music act to travel to Australia since the pandemic began.
The show marks the launch of Always Live, a series of events intended to bring music fans into Melbourne and regional Victoria and help to support local jobs and tourism businesses.
Always Live chair and Michael Gudinski’s son, Matt Gudinski, says: “Always Live was a passion project for my dad to ensure Victoria continued to be recognised as the music capital of Australia, and Melbourne as one of the leading music cities in the world.”
“The focus of this year’s Always Live is reinvigorating and reconnecting the state through the power of live music”
“Dad worked tirelessly over many years to bring his vision and concept to life and to obtain the support of the Victorian government. The initiative has been in the works for a long time and has been impacted by Covid-19 leading to several postponements of its launch and delivery.
“I’m honoured to be part of now making it a reality at a time when the live music scene needs all the support it can get. The focus of this year’s instalment of Always Live is reinvigorating and reconnecting the state through the power of live music.”
Gudinski, one of the best-known and most-loved figures in the concert business down under, passed away unexpectedly last year.
An executive and promoter, Gudinski shaped the international careers of local music talent including Kylie Minogue and helped bring acts including The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran to Australia.
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