An upcoming documentary on the decades-spanning career and impact of late Mushroom Records founder Michael Gudinski has been released, alongside details of its theatrical release.
Announced today (May 23), a trailer for Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story was released. The upcoming film captures over 50 years of the late Australian mogul’s life and career. It will feature accounts and interviews with Gudinski recorded prior to his death in March 2021, Jimmy Barnes, Dave Grohl, Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and more about Gudinski’s impact on the Australian music industry.
Watch the trailer for Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story below.
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is set to premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 10 before it receives its wide theatrical release across the nation on August 31. The film is also part of Mushroom Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Mushroom Records – and Mushroom Group – was founded by Gudinski in 1972, and quickly became one of the most influential music and entertainment companies in New Zealand and Australia.
Over the course of his career with Mushroom Group, Gudinski signed artists the likes of Kylie Minogue, Split Enz and more, and also organised stadium tours for the likes of Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran and more.
A state funeral was held in Melbourne for the influential figure in 2021, with recorded tributes from Springsteen, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Eagles’ Joe Walsh, Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Foo Fighters’ Grohl, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Josh Homme and Rod Stewart, among others.
A year after Gudinski’s passing, Foo Fighters returned to Australia for their first stadium show in the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the show, Dave Grohl and co. paid tribute to Gudinski with their closing song, ‘Everlong’.
“I would like to dedicate this last song to an old friend, who’s not here with us tonight – a person that always brought us over here, took care of us and made us happy – a sweet man, who made everything fun Down Under,” Grohl said.
“Coincidentally, we managed to get down here about… Almost exactly a year since his passing. But we would not be the band that we are today, here in Australia, if it wasn’t for the great, late Michael Gudinski. I never understood one word that motherfucker said, man – I swear to god, I couldn’t tell what he was saying. But I do know that he was full of love. So let’s give it back to him.”