Get ready for a wild ride through the torrid history of Australian rock ‘n ‘ roll, as the documentary Ego: The Michael Gudinsky Story is in Australian cinemas now.
An epochal figure in the Australian music scene, Michael Gudinsky, who sadly passed away in 2021 at the relatively young age of 68, rose from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the record industry, being nigh-unanimously regarded as the powerful man in the country’s record industry. His label, Mushroom Records, was responsible for some of the biggest Australian albums of all time, and Gudinsky personally shepherded the careers of such notable acts as Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes and Paul Kelly.
All three of whom show up to pay tribute in this exhaustive and laudatory account. They’re joined by Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Billy Joel, Sting, Dave Grohl, and more, the star calibre of the interview subjects clear evidence of Gudinsky’s monumental rep. Directed by Paul Goldman (The Night We Called it a Day, Suburban Mayhem), the film traces Gudinsky’s journey from his early days promoting local gigs in Melbourne to the ire of his immigrant parents, who turfed him out of home when it became clear he wasn’t going to ditch music for a more respectable career.
Despite his self-acknowledged complete lack of musical talent, Gudinsky nonetheless had a keen ear for commercial rock and a surfeit of business acumen, parlaying both into a media empire that encompasses venues, concert promoting, merchandise, publishing and recording.
Director Goldman planned on a more in-depth, perhaps more critical approach to his subject, but Gudinsky’s sudden death—just ahead of a week’s worth of scheduled interviews for the film—means the documentary we eventually got skews more towards hagiography. There’s many singing Gudinsky’s praises and few examining his faults, but that’s understandable given the circumstances. For music fans, this one is an essential watch.
