Live Music on the Gold Coast

By Chelsea Dulieu

With the summer weather starting to crack through, nothing beats sitting back with a beer in hand and listening to someone strumming on their guitar.

As in many other areas the Gold Coast has come into its own and developed some great offerings in the way of live music no matter what you’re particular poison may be. Acoustic sets on a Sunday afternoon, DJs with a side of bongos and old-school cover bands are all being served up on a platter at an array of venues up and down the coast. There’s just something about live music that gets those toes tapping more than anything else does.

With massive crowds flocking every week for not only the delicious food stalls but also the ever changing live music offering, I spoke to one of the guys from Miami Marketta on how they choose their weekly acts;

How do you guys go about selecting your acts each week? Is there a certain criteria or style you lean towards?

This is a little bit of a difficult question as we really do like to give all music a go. On weekends we do try and go for a festive vibe, the world music types of bands. However, we also love to support locals artists that come on to our radar.

With acts ranging from dapper Brisbane ska group Cheap Fakes to 70s English punk rock band The Jam this really is a great place to catch a diverse range of live tunes.

However, relaxation and beers aside (not too far aside, NEVER put your beer too far aside!) what really drives the live music scene in the Gold Coast is the heart of it. You really don’t need to be in a formal venue to be amongst it. A short stroll down the beach – any beach – will uncover at least one happy soul playing away on their beloved guitar just for the fun of it. Not to mention some of QTs very own gems, Mass and Rory, who have been spotted having a quick jam session to entertain the folks at Soul Soup in Labrador just from the goodness of their hearts. Awwwww *insert dreamy eyes here ladies*.

So locals and tourists alike, be sure to take that stroll and catch some of the amazing acts scattered all along the coast. Beer in hand optional, but strongly recommended.