Australia’s Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertainment Enter Joint Venture Agreement

Justin Ma – Mushroom Group staff
Chugg Entertainment chief Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment managing director Susan Heymann and Mushroom Group’s Michael Gudinski

After 20 years as rivals, topmost Australian promoters Michael Gudinski and Michael Chugg have become partners again. Both started out in their teens in agencies and were part of the Gudinski-led consortium, which set up Frontier Touring in 1979. Chugg went off on his own in 1999.

Now, in a joint venture agreement announced March 26, Frontier Touring will co-promote all Chugg Entertainment tours, effective April 1, and provide it with the label, marketing, merchandise, artist management and event clout of Gudinski’s multi-divisional Mushroom Group.

Frontier also becomes a partner in Chugg Entertainment and Potts Entertainment’s successful country music festival CMC Rocks Queensland which in mid-March sold out for a fourth year rand drew a daily crowd of 24,000. Susan Heymann will continue as managing director of Chugg Entertainment, reporting to the two men on all Frontier/Chugg Entertainment joint ventures. Staff from the live division of Chugg’s company will integrate with the Frontier team.

“Michael and I have been in and out of business together for almost half a century and we’ve both seen a lot change in that time,” Gudinsky said. “There’s no doubt that live touring in Australasia is undergoing its biggest transition ever and we’re both equally passionate about ensuring we continue to set the bar for touring down under.

“Chuggi and Susan have built a great team that punches above their weight and I’m excited about what the Chugg and Frontier teams can achieve together.”

Chugg, executive chairman of his company, added, “Chugg Entertainment has had an incredible run of late and it’s the perfect time for us to take this step to strengthen our place in the market and keep growing while the industry changes and evolves. Michael and I share so much history and so many stories, it feels right for us to move forward into the future with Frontier Touring. We both love to wind it up and fight the good fight, we’re going to be louder and prouder together. Look out!”

Heymann added, “Frontier Touring has established itself as one of the most powerful promoters in the world and has a proven track record of delivering successful tours, time and again. With all that knowledge and experience, as well as the other music businesses in Mushroom Group to lean on and collaborate with, I’m excited to see what the Chugg Entertainment and Frontier Touring teams can accomplish together.”

In early March, Gudinski was forced to hose down media and biz speculation that he was selling either just Frontier or the entire Mushroom Group to AEG Ogden.