The Source: Michael Gudinski doco director’s tumultuous legal relationship with music pioneer

The Aussie music pioneer backed in a less than conventional choice to make a film about his life story — someone who had not only sued him, but won.

Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers.

The director of the Michael Gudinski documentary had an up-and-down relationship with the late music industry legend.

And by down, The Source means Melbourne filmmaker Paul Goldman sued Gudinski twice.

“(Goldman) first met my dad in 1978 when he brought in a video clip for the Boys Next Door (song), Shivers,” Michael Gudinski’s son, Matt, said.

“Over the years, Paul and dad had a tumultuous relationship, and despite Paul trying to sue my dad twice, when the idea of this film came about, dad for some reason, thought (Goldman would) be a great person to tell the story.”

“We battled in court and I’m happy to say I won,” Goldman said, while laughing.

Goldman’s film, Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story, opens in cinemas on Thursday.

Michael Gudinski started the film with Goldman in 2019. But Covid-19 lockdowns, then Gudinski’s sudden death in 2021 almost derailed the project.

Goldman remodelled the film into a documentary on the Mushroom empire’s 50th anniversary, which was last year, but centred it on Gudinski’s story.

Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story opens on Thursday.

Matt Gudinski now runs Mushroom. Picture Sam Tabone

Michael Gudinski, a high school dropout, started Mushroom Records in 1972. Skyhooks was its first success story. Others included Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Hunters and Collectors, The Angels, Yothu Yindi, Peter Andre, The Church and Vance Joy.

Gudinski started Frontier Touring in 1979, and lured stars including Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift to play shows in Australia.

Asked about his court battle with Gudinski, Goldman told The Source: “Everyone enjoyed suing Michael and he enjoyed suing them. I had the most wonderful, enjoyable, turbulent, fractured, funny, f---ed up relationship with Michael. It was great.

“He liked a stoush and strong, opinionated people around him. That was part of the fun.”

Goldman said the court action related to a dispute about payments for music videos.

Matt Gudinski is the chief executive of the Mushroom Group.

Victoria’s parliament read the Riot Act

The extent of lockdown powers exercised by the Andrews Government still astonishes a few years later.

But it seems that everyone from the Premier down, when considering the threat of old ladies on park benches and the like, overlooked an existing law which sounds even more draconian.

Under Victoria’s regally arcane Riot Act, officers of the state can pretty much do as they like when protesters are asked to disperse — in the name of the monarch — and fail to heed the order.

As it reads: “If persons so unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assembled … happen to be killed, maimed, or hurt in the dispersing … the offenders shall be free discharged and indemnified of, for, and concerning the killing, maiming, or hurting of any such person … unlawfully assembled as aforesaid.”

Victoria’s Riot Act grants the police extraordinary powers. Picture: Sarah Matray

The translation?

As it stands, the state’s Riot Act (which dates back beyond Queen Victoria and some parliamentary mayhem in 1860) is effectively a licence to kill, if need be, in the name of the monarch.

Libertarian MP David Limbrick read the Riot Act, and its possibly murderous implications, in parliament on Tuesday.

He wanted the said bits repealed.

But he didn’t win the required support.

“Does the government intend on using them?” Limbrick asked of the really old laws.

“I hope not.”

The takeaway?

The next time an officer of the law invites you to move on — in the name of the monarch — move on.

Move on fast.

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