Marc Fennell uncovers an $180 million mystery that destroyed lives and reshaped music forever
The two-part blackly comic docuseries premieres at 8.35pm Tuesday, 15 October on SBS and SBS On Demand.
In ‘Red Flag: Music’s Failed Revolution’ Marc Fennell digs deep into the history of Guvera, uncovering a web of shady business dealings.
Through exclusive interviews, never-before seen footage and photographs, incredible archive and dramatic reenactments, Red Flag: Music’s Failed Revolution charts the spectacular rise and fall of Guvera – the Gold Coast tech start-up that challenged Spotify and was nicknamed the “iTunes Killer”- which once had A-list superstars like Alice Cooper and Mos Def lining up behind it with one mission: to destroy internet piracy.
With its superstar following, glitzy parties and lucrative brand sponsorships, including Harley Davidson and The Australian Open, it raised an eye watering $180 million, but what was really going on behind closed doors?
A recreation scene of the inside of Guvera’s office, in ‘Red Flag: Music’s Failed Revolution’.
As Marc digs deeper, red flags start to emerge, uncovering a web of shady business dealings, ethical question marks, a company on the brink, and many lives left in its wake. With candid interviews with former Guvera staff, devastated investors, music industry experts, and behind the scenes footage, the documentary delves into the darker side of the start-up and a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” story so familiar with other famous tech start-ups, fuelled by the unwavering belief that one big idea can change the world.
“It’s a roller-coaster of a story with euphoric highs and devastating lows. But most importantly, Guvera’s catastrophic implosion also reveals a brutal reality about Australia – our attitudes towards money, innovation, and risk.”
