MELBOURNE, Australia — Mushroom Group will celebrate its half-century next month with a special all-star concert, its lineup representing the music company’s indie spirit and broad church roster.
Jimmy Barnes, Amy Shark, The Temper Trap, Vika & Linda, DMA’S, Paul Kelly, Ross Wilson, Kate Ceberano, Missy Higgins and many others are confirmed for Mushroom 50, set for Sunday, Nov. 26 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.
Mushroom 50 will be an “incredible once-in-a-lifetime night,” comments Matt Gudinski, CEO of Mushroom Group, a commemoration of 50 years “of great Mushroom music and Australian talent.”
The independent music juggernaut was launched by the late Michael Gudinski back in 1972 Mushroom Records, when the entrepreneur was just 20.
With MG, the brash, inspirational leader at the helm, Mushroom shaped Australia’s music culture like no other brand. Today, the group is a two-dozen-strong collection of affiliates active in every conceivable area of the music and entertainment industries, from touring to booking agencies, publishing, merch and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, neighboring rights, branding, labels, talent management and more.
Matt Gudinski is now the leader, following the passing of his father Michael in 2021.
“The Mushroom family is determined to bring together a special evening for all involved,” he comments. “With more than 20 artists performing as part of the event, this will be a true celebration of Australian music and a showcase our thriving local music scene and its history. I know my late father would be very proud of what we are putting together.”
On the night, performers will hit a mix of originals and classic songs from across the Mushroom catalog, including “Working Class Man,” “Holy Grail,” “Sweet Disposition,” “Riptide,” “Hoops,” “It’s Only the Beginning,” “Before Too Long,” and “Living In The 70s.”
Mushroom 50 is the culmination of a months-long program of releases and activities, which have included limited-edition merchandise and frontline artist covers of classic Mushroom songs.
The milestone anniversary was also celebrated with the release of Ego, the feature length documentary on MG, a larger-than-life character whose death was mourned by many of the giants he worked with, from Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and his bestie, Ed Sheeran.
Mushroom Group hasn’t missed a chance to celebrate its big moments. In 1983, Mushroom hosted its 10th birthday bash, with the Mushroom Evolution Concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Then, in 1998, the Mushroom 25 Live concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a concert that, at the time, entered the history books as the largest ever ticketed concert in Australian music history, with 73,000 in the stadium. Mushroom Group still holds the record, thanks to Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour earlier in the year, when the Brit played to 105,000 on one evening, then topped it with 109,500. Frontier Touring, a division of Mushroom Group, produced that tour.
From every ticket sold to Mushroom 50, A$2 will go towards Support Act’s Ausmusic T-Shirt Day campaign.
The Telstra Plus presale starts Friday, Oct. 13, ahead of the Frontier Touring members presale on Monday, Oct. 16. The general public on sale begins Wednesday, Oct. 18.
For more visit mushroom50.com. Mushroom 50 Live is in partnership with ALWAYS LIVE and Telstra.
