APACHE

The lively bunch of feisty and frenetic rockers, Apache brought piles of energy into the night, with their raucous, Strokes-esque vocalist thrashing around to the point of getting tied up in the mic chord. But that certainly was not going to slow these guys down any, and as the beefy drums kicked it up a notch, some drawl was added to the vocals, fitting in nicely with their dirtier, grungy moments. Their final song of the set began with some creative rim shot drumming, which sounded like a bug scuttling eerily across the stage. This was offset perfectly with the thick as hell, groovy bass tones and the Voodoo Chile chorus riff, Hendrix homage ending.


LIANA KELLY - xpressmag.com.au

Next up was Apache, who laid further claim to their potential alongside a spot as Big Splash finalists with an absolutely phenomenal performance in front of an ever-growing number of spectators. While their focus is on psychedelic rock, they bring something new and innovative to the table - their songs evolve in unpredictable directions at every passing minute and their stage presence is just incredibly powerful. These lads cant seem to put a foot wrong at the moment and I do not doubt we'll be seeing great things from them as time goes on.

KANE SUTTON - theMusic.com.au

...wildcard entrant APACHE - are psychedelic rock, and for the first 30 seconds sounded like they're riding the Tame Impala et al. wave of unimaginative psych, but that notion was soon dispelled as half of the room seemed to be wondering why the fuck these five guys were the wildcard and not the easy winners of their last heat. Theirs is anything but pastiche: their songs evolve in unpredictable directions every minute, while all eyes on vocalist Timothy Gordon, utterly entranced in the in the journey. How do you follow that?

MATTHEW TOMICH - theMusic.com.au

Apache were last up, and had the crowd in their collective hands from the get-go. Pushed on by the ever-effervescent Tim Gordon out front, the entire band were obviously enjoying themselves, busting out their soul and R&B-tinged rock tracks with reckless abandon at parts. They had an extraordinary flow, and their undeniable charm really put them into the game.

CAM FINDLAY - theMusic.com.au

APACHE were the wildcard entry for the evening and hit the stage with all the energy of a Brownlow medalist on a cocktail of peptides. The muscular group had a foot in the classics while throwing in a modern slant. With strong grooves, some slide guitar and a singer who left nothing in the tank as he gyrated around the stage, the surprisingly melodic Apache were deservedly granted passage through to the final. - X-Press Magazine

Unfortunately for APACHE (ex-The Tumblers), their early slot on the bill meant they weren't performing in front of as many people as they deserved. They proved one of the standout acts of the evening, playing a tight and well-rehearsed blend of catchy, distorted, heavy rock that had the few of us who were there feeling very lucky to have enjoyed such an enjoyable performance. - X-Press Magazine

Newcomers to the Perth rock scene, Apache, launched their first EP on Saturday Night. Formed from the ashes of baby-faced rockers The Tumblers, this five peace wasted no time in forging a definite style and sound, with musical maturity of artists who know each other and their instruments.

Channelling New York garage rock vibes, with an occasional kick of swampy blues, Apache's set was short, sweet, and to the point. Opening with the dirty sounds of heavy rock tune, Salem, the boys immediately bring to mind bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Vines, and even some of homespun heroes Tame Impala's retro psychedelia. A brooding, moody sound quickly became the trademark of the evening, combining hard rock with lyrical vocals that was both angry and melodic.

These vibes continued throughout their set with songs such as Punch A Hole In The Sun containing the right combination of catchy melodic phrasing and driving guitar riffs. Impressive also was the title track to the EP, Creatures. This is a song with all of the components thee: a catchy chorus, driving guitar and bass riffs, and a very solid good old-fashioned rock beat that go the whole crowd up and moving.

Changing the pace with blues-infused jam Wine, lead singer Timothy Gordon twisted and drawled over some very tasty guitar licks. Of all the songs in the set, Wine gave the boys the stamp of musical authenticity, sanding out as a song that did more than just channel the styles of other bands. Moving through the set Apache kept the audience guessing with continual changes in pace, that gave their set a real enjoyable energy: something that even much more established bands struggle with.

It is clear that Apache haven't been around very long. That said, their sound is much more mature and focused than is usually expected at this stage in a career, with a surety that comes from musicians who obviously know each other. Keep and eye on what there guys can come up with in the future. Top notch.

LEAH BLANKENDAAL - Xpress Magazine

Enter APACHE, another relatively fresh-faced band who deliver a precocious does of hard-rock craftsmanship, swagger, intensity and semi-telepathic jigsaw tightness. The emphatic quintet's first tune is a cracker, equal parts Warpaint-esque guitar chime, post-punk layering and stoner-chug of the Josh Homme variety. Homme's projects form a pretty good reference point for Apache generally, though there's plenty of Sabbath, Strokes and Black Keys bleeding unto the melange. Their third song is a theatrical bit of slow swampy blues with a sort of rock-cabaret vocal laid over, it's borderline hammy but it totally works, aligning cleanly with singer Tim Gordon's already gusto-filled performance ethic. The sweaty set eventually peaks in a fit of riff-driven chaos, before slowing into one final sting of doomy wallops. While they could benefit from embracing a more eclectic palette, and steering away from classic rock cliche, Apache slam out a deeply satisfying set, and could prove worthy victors this evening.

LYNDON BLUE - Cool Perth Nights