The Surfers Paradise Festival blasts off on Sunday May 2 as launch It! showcases the cream of Australian music talent. A free concert on the country's most famous beach, headline acts including legendary band You Am I, the eclectic Bertie Blackman & local Brissie boy's Yves Klein Blue. Rounding out the Lineup will be innovative & electrifying local bands Elke, Dirtywings & The Shadow Thieves fulfilling a core promise of the Festival to promote & support the thriving local music scene.

And to top it off, Launch It! will culminate in a spectacular fireworks display blasting off the beach! It's 6 hours of big bands on the beach for FREE, so it's one to put in the diary if quality live music's your thing.

launch it! is an alcohol free event.

ARTIST BIOS

You am I is without question, one of the country's best live acts. With charismatic front man Tim Rogers, you know from the second they take to the stage it's going to be a knockout performance. You am I were the first Aussie band to have 3 successive albums debut at #1 on the ARIA Album Charts & have had 14 songs make it into triple j's hottest 100 over the years. If you haven't seen them live, then launch It! is the perfect gig for a mind-blowing initiation.

09 was a big year for eclectic singer Bertie Blackman. Her album, Secrets & Lies, received massive airplay across triple j & Nova with listeners loving her dynamic, fusion-tinged sound. Its Bertie's ability to translate her albums diverse sounds & influences to the live stage that makes her such an awesome addition to the launch It!Lineup.

The past couple of years have seen Yves Klein Blue walk a steep path of highs. Their musical blueprint of timeless classicism mixed with youthful vigour & a desire to experience all life has to offer brilliantly pervades their live performances. The 'Brissie boy's made good's are set to launch It! in this home-grown house of sound.

Supporting these great acts are solid local bands:

Dirtywings - playful, peppy, political, pop powerhouses.

Shadow Thieves - whose vigorous expression of music is both thought provoking & inspiring enough for even the non-dancers amongst us to rise from our perches & throw our limbs about.

Elke - renowned for their driving rhythms, blazing melodies & a unique, powerful sound that's unmistakably their own.