Gudinski Lashes Out

Frontier Touring chief Michael Gudinski used his keynote address at the Big Sound summit in Brisbane to let fly at a number of his personal beefs – including high concert prices, commercial radio’s lack of support for new talent, and his belief that the Australian government didn’t do enough for the music industry.

“’People lay the blame for high ticket prices with promoters but it comes from the acts, the managers and the agents,”’ he said. “I won’t get into bidding wars. Artists like Green Day, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, they don’t care if someone offers them $1 million more than Frontier. They won’t take that money if it sends ticket prices out of line.”

Gudinski revealed that he voted for the current Government, but said he doesn’t understand why it didn’t give the music industry the same tax incentives as the film industry.

“We’re a creative industry which has more potential than the Australian film industry,” he said. He said he respected Peter Garrett, the former Midnight Oil singer who became arts minister, “But if he feels compromised because he comes from a music background, and he’s not going to help us, then piss off.”

Three days later, a shuffle in the Government saw Garrett moved to another portfolio and former Education Minister Simon Crean take over.