Michael Gudinski - Australian music industry icon dies

Michael Gudinski, an Australian music industry icon who helped shape its sound for decades, has died aged 68.

The Mushroom Records owner and veteran tour promoter died in his sleep at his home in Melbourne Australia on Monday night March 1, 2021, his label said.

Michael Gudinski: Australian music industry icon dies aged 68 (BBC March 2, 2021)

How Michael Gudinski saved the Stones tour in Australia 2014

Australian press have been running stories about Michael Gudinski this week, following his passing on Monday. Most interesting for fans of The Rolling Stones, are the dramatic hours Tuesday March 18 and Wednesday March 19 2014, where the Rolling Stones 2014 tour in Australia was about to be canceled. The details were published in the following book published in 2015, and they are telling a story about how the tour changed from "canceled" into "postponed", all happening at the Hyatt Hotel in Perth Australia during these two days. Also, parts of the story is printed this week in the following article:

Michael Gudinski : The Rolling Stones Tour Was An Epic Gamble (The Australian)

This is the book published in Australia 2015:

Michael Gudinski: The Godfather of Australian Rock'n Roll - by Stuart Coupe

The following is a short version of the story. Get the book and read it. Highly interesting!

NEVER EVER LET THEM CANCEL

On the Monday night Mick Jagger goes out to dinner. It’s a late one, almost midnight when he’s interrupted with the devastating news that his long-term partner L’Wren Scott has been discovered dead. He’s told it’s a suicide. Only the people very very close to Jagger are told what has happened. Gudinski is in his hotel room watching TV. It’s approaching 2 am. A banner starts rolling across the bottom of the screen. ‘Mick Jagger’s long-term …’ Gudinski looks again. ‘Are you @#$%& kiddin’ me,’ he yells at the television.

By early morning on Tuesday, 18 March the tragic death of Scott is global news. Media are assembled outside the hotel. Gudinski talks to Paul Gongaware of AEG Live, the huge conglomerate that is the overall promoter for the Rolling Stones tour. Gongaware is tour director for the Stones on the road, and is in Perth.

Gudinski knows that this tour can’t be cancelled. Under no circumstances. There’s a very big difference between the words ‘cancelled’ and ‘postponed’. He knows that when a promoter says ‘cancelled’, everyone automatically gets a ticket refund. The tour machine grinds to a halt. It’s over. Finished. He talks to Gongaware repeatedly but he knows nothing definite either. All they can do is wait. And wait.

.....

Gongaware tells Gudinski he’s right. It should be a postponement. He puts down the phone to call Rolling Stones’ business manager Joyce Smyth, and the band’s longstanding UK publicist, Bernard Doherty, both in London.

Gudinski paces. He’s aware that the next few minutes are beyond critical. Things are out of his control. There is no telling how the Stones camp will react to the suggestion that they change their plans. This is the Rolling Stones, after all. They’re not used to being told they might have made the wrong call.

.....

‘ You can never – ever – let them cancel – postpone, yes, but never cancel.’ That’s the only thought going through Michael Gudinski’s mind. It’s approaching 2 am Perth time, Wednesday 19 March 2014. In his room at the Hyatt Regency in Perth, Gudinski is beside himself. Angry. Frustrated. Feeling helpless and powerless. Gudinski knows about stress and pressure.

With AEG, Gudinski and his key Frontier partner Frank Stivala, long-term lieutenants Gerard Schlaghecke and Michael Harrison and financial adviser Jacobsen set about sorting out a solution. The tour has to go back on. Adelaide is key as the South Australian government is donating the venue. The first possible date is 18 October at the end of the football season, and no later than the twenty-fifth, when the oval is scheduled to be used for cricket.

.....

As we all know, The Rolling Stones returned to Australia in October 2014, did rehearsals and tour start in Adeleide, where the tour started at The Oval on Oct 25.

=====

Also, see the following references

Some Kinda Stones Connections (Post by Rockman March 2, 2021)

IORR News 2014 - March 18 and on



Bjornulf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021-03-04 22:38 by bv.

Interesting read ... thanks Bjornulf.
RIP

Can't help but think back and wish L'wren was there on that leg.
Saw her at several of the '13 shows, where her designs for that tour were stellar.

Yes Michael's death is huge loss to the Australian music industry apart from establishing the local music industry in the early 1970's with bands like Skyhooks who were big Stones fans and covered Brown Sugar. Also bands such as Chain & Madder Lake who supported the Stones in 1973 at Kooyong in Melbourne.

I asked Michael a few years ago at a Ryan Adams gig in Melb if he'd ever tour the Stones again after the 2014 postponement (he'd been to the football and he was quite pissed) and said: no f@#$%g way too many hassles!!!

Frontier touring which Michael started toured major acts into Australia & NZ: McCartney, Springsteen, Faith No More and many more.

RIP Michael.

pool's in but the patio ain't dry

Met Michael in nearly every city
on the 2014 Aussie tour .... Usually
in the bar of hotel that Stones were staying at .....

I was always greeted by his gravelly
voice screeeeeming ... OH NO !!! not you again ...

So many laughs so many great memories ....

Years before in 1998 he personally handed out hot
doughnuts and coffee to us all who had slept out to get
tickets for Dylan's Mercury Lounge gig .......


Safe Journey Michael ...



ROCKMAN

Yes his unmistakeable voice!

Sounds like a great name for a song......Oh no not you again!

pool's in but the patio ain't dry

Michael definitely sounds like a great guy, and very good to the fans who he had met who travelled all the way to Oz to see the gigs.
Also of course who were Australian and New Zealand fans who were really looking forward to see The Rolling Stones a bit nearer to travelling the other side of the world to see the band play live.

God bless you Michael.

Quote
Rockman
Years before in 1998 he personally handed out hot
doughnuts and coffee to us all who had slept out to get
tickets for Dylan's Mercury Lounge gig .......

now that sounds like what legendary promoter Bill Graham did with fans outside his shows, especially Winterland in San Francisco.


plexi

RIP Mr Gudinski

RIP

Quote
timbernardis

Quote
Rockman
Years before in 1998 he personally handed out hot
doughnuts and coffee to us all who had slept out to get
tickets for Dylan's Mercury Lounge gig .......

now that sounds like what legendary promoter Bill Graham did with fans outside his shows, especially Winterland in San Francisco.


plexi

Before you posted it that was my thought too. How he handled things and then the donuts. Losing music people like that is as large as losing artists.

Quote
daspyknows

Quote
timbernardis

Quote
Rockman
Years before in 1998 he personally handed out hot
doughnuts and coffee to us all who had slept out to get
tickets for Dylan's Mercury Lounge gig .......

now that sounds like what legendary promoter Bill Graham did with fans outside his shows, especially Winterland in San Francisco.


plexi

Before you posted it that was my thought too. How he handled things and then the donuts. Losing music people like that is as large as losing artists.

Which is why he's getting a State Funeral as a mark of respect from the people of Victoria.

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

Memorial Concert information

[www.youtube.com]

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

watching it now live streaming, very moving tribute but opening the music with a video from Sting was disappointing....

pool's in but the patio ain't dry

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winos
watching it now live streaming, very moving tribute but opening the music with a video from Sting was disappointing....

It was interesting to see how central he was to so much.

Anyone who missed it didn't get the chance to see Kylie on stage with (only) Ed Sheeran singing together. Not quite your normal line-up! :-)

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

Quote
winos
watching it now live streaming, very moving tribute but opening the music with a video from Sting was disappointing....

THAT’S your takeaway? An opening by Sting disappointed YOU? Perhaps the FAMILY or Michael Gudinski (would have) liked and welcomed that opening...

... it WASN’T a concert you know.

Rod

I understand that Rod

I live in Melbourne and have appreciated and supported Oz music for 50 years since Gudinski launched Mushroom records. The point I was making was I would've preferred to have seen some of the earlier bands that were launched on his record label like the remaining Skyhooks, Dingoes & Jo Jo Zep musicians do some kind of tribute.

And don't get me started on Ed Sheeran.....he's so dull and overrated but I understand that he was very close to Gudinski.

pool's in but the patio ain't dry

Quote
winos
I understand that Rod

I live in Melbourne and have appreciated and supported Oz music for 50 years since Gudinski launched Mushroom records. The point I was making was I would've preferred to have seen some of the earlier bands that were launched on his record label like the remaining Skyhooks, Dingoes & Jo Jo Zep musicians do some kind of tribute.

And don't get me started on Ed Sheeran.....he's so dull and overrated but I understand that he was very close to Gudinski.

But you don't seem to have fully understood that it wasn't a concert.

It was, in effect, a FAMILY affair. So, whatever the family wanted the family got. End of discussion. End of criticism.

There were things on, and acts etc, that personally I didn't get much from and in one case wondered about the propriety. BUT... it was a family affair.

I too am no Ed Sheeran fan (except he looks so much like a nephew of mine that every time I see my nephew I suggest a change of career to be an Ed Sheeran impersonator) but he was obviously close to Gudinski and the family, he left the UK to be with the family long before the concert was organised (hence 2 weeks in quarantine).

And as a family friend he had every right to perform, even if neither you or I liked it much. I hope that you noted that after his solo slot he left the stage in tears!

I wouldn't cross the road to see an Ed Sheeran concert, but as the family wanted him there I applaud them.

I'm very proud that I have chosen to live in a State that gives a local music promoter a State Memorial.

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

THE AGE -- 25 March 2021



ROCKMAN

Plenty of coverage in U.K. newspapers of the Memorial Event for Michael.

He obviously was so well liked and loved by so many people from all over the world.

God Bless You Michael.

Michael Gudinski Memorial Event.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-03-26 01:16 by crawdaddy.

Advertiser -- 26 March 2021



ROCKMAN

Herald Sun --- 27 June 2021



ROCKMAN

Quote
Rockman


Herald Sun --- 27 June 2021

Does this explain Friday Evening's result? Saints getting help from Ed?

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan