Singers Gotye and Kimbra in scene from Gotye music video clip for song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' featuring body art by SA artist Emma Hack. Source: Supplied
FORTY years of Melbourne's musical history is about to be unveiled to the public at the right price - free.
The Music Melbourne, and Me: 40 Years of Mushroom and Melbourne's Music Culture opens at RMIT on November 19 and will run until February 22.
Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski has raided his archives of music memorabilia to add to personal items donated by Kylie Minogue, Molly Meldrum, Neil Finn, Paul Kelly and Skyhooks.
``I've had offers to do something like this in the past, but there's always been an entrance fee," Gudinski says. ``The music industry has been great to me and my family, so it had to be free. I wanted to give something back."
Skyhooks' Red Symons has lent the exhibition the original artwork from the Melbourne band's iconic album Living in the `70s.
Symons was living in "a typical `70s shared house'' with the artist who painted the work, Niels Hutchison.
Music man Michael Gudinsky. Source: News Limited
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``He moved on from the house, I acquired it," Symons says.
``Even back then we recognised it as having an certain intrinsic historical value. Niels said he was more than happy for me to keep possession of it provided I don't sell it, and nor shall I."
Kylie Minogue has donated hotpants and a yellow jacket from her Confide in Me video; Meldrum has donated an array of platinum discs and music memorabilia from his personal collection.
Vote for your favourite Aussie songs in our interactive below.
Gudinski has opened up the Mushroom archives - tour posters, vintage tickets and merchandise, gold discs, awards and old booking documents - highlights including the very low cost to book AC/DC in the '70s for their early shows in Melbourne.
Guitarist Angus Young in action during AC/DC’s concert in as part of their Black Ice Australian Tour. Source: News Limited
RMIT's crew are in the process of building a replica of Gudinski's desk from Mushroom HQ, which will be part of the exhibition, as well as clips from Countdown including Meldrum's infamous interview with Prince Charles.
"It's the Michael Gudinski and Molly Meldrum room," co-curator Suzanne Davies says. "We went into Michael's office, it was a pretty intriguing environment. The office and the building was full of photographs of Michael with people he's dealt with. We wanted that in the exhibition to speak for itself. We've got his desk and all the paraphernalia on it to conjure the person. There's a solid wall of all the platinum and gold records and photos of all the folk he's interacted with. That tells a story. And in the Molly section there's a lot of Molly's material. He's allowed us to rummage through his personal memorabilia. It's the full Molly."
John Farnham in concert at Royal Pines Resort. Source: News Limited
Other highlights will include a dance floor with LED lights, an interactive booth for punters to share their love of music and a jukebox of 40 of Melbourne's favourite Melbourne songs, which will be selected by Herald Sun readers and Triple M listeners.
Today's Sunday Herald Sun features a poll of 100 songs either recorded in Melbourne, or by Melbourne born artists, or about Melbourne which will then be whittled down to a Top 40 once readers' votes are counted.
A series of free public talks, from musicians Mark Seymour, and Ella Hooper and Dogs in Space filmmaker Richard Lowenstein, are planned, while Gudinski is also lining up surprise live performances by musicians.
"I can guarantee a lot of my artists will be able to pop in and perform, let alone anyone who might be here on tour. Most of the really successful musicians are music fans themselves. I think they'll find it interesting to visit here."
Mark Seymour from the Hunters and Collectors in concert at the MCG. Source: News Limited
Gudinski said the exhibition was designed to highlight Melbourne's influence on the Australian and international music scene.
"Melbourne is undoubtedly the home of music in Australia, that's something that's acknowledged internationally," Gudinski said.
"The people in Melbourne love live music passionately, venues have flourished and concerts that come to Melbourne draw more people consistently than Sydney, which is a similar sized city.
"The interest in music has been here for a number of decades and I'm determined to see that continue and get stronger.
"There's a huge array of talent coming out of Melbourne right now including Vance Joy, who's making waves in the UK and US right now."
Australian band Temper Trap at Festival Hall in Melbourne. Source: News Limited
Gudinski formed Mushroom Records in 1972, a label that kickstarted the careers of Skyhooks, Split Enz, Garbage and Kylie Minogue. His touring arm, Frontier, has promoted Australian tours by the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and the Foo Fighters.
"Hopefully, kids will come to this exhibition and learn something about the history of music in Melbourne, or see that there is an opportunity in music for them," Gudinski said.
"If anyone gets inspired and ends up getting any form of job that they love because they've come to this exhibition, that'd be more than enough for me. " I grew up in an era where music was seen as something rebellious. So to see an exhibition like this, with the credibility of RMIT behind it, it's really a dream come true."
Music, Melbourne and Me, RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston St, City. Opens November 19
Rock band Split Enz. Source: News Limited
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