Live Review: Tired Lion, Foam, Apache, Dead Glorious

There is certainly a special atmosphere on the eve of an all-local gig billing, and it was fantastic to see that punters aplenty were seeking that familiar warm and fuzzy vibe as they headed down to Amps early to pump themselves up for Tired Lion's single launch. Dead Glorious, a band that features a host of guys from various other WA acts such as The Critics, Gyroscope, Little Birdy and The Reserves, were an entertaining opening group, firing the audience up with their nostalgic blend of '90s street punk. Having only played their debut show in May, they pulled a strong crowd and no doubt earned themselves some new fans in the process.

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 can't seem to put a foot wrong at the moment and I do not doubt that we'll be seeing great things from them as time goes on.

Unlike the previous two bands, the penultimate performers of the evening, FOAM need no introduction. Although the group are no strangers to the scene and play plenty of shows across the town, they are still as popular as ever, as demonstrated by the visibly large amount of people who flocked to the front of the stage to admire the band's grunge-drenched tunes. We're all reeling to hear what the new material will sound like, the band recently announcing that they're releasing a split EP with good friends PUCK, and if Friday night's form was anything to go by, we should be very excited indeed.

With their new single, Desperate, scoring j-play rotation and the band's profile getting major ups from triple j Unearthed, Tired Lion took to the stage before a packed-out room absolutely brimming with confidence. The group's setlist was filled with a mix of indie rock licks and darker angsty tunes, and vocalist Sophie Hopes was in inspired form, her vocal strength and power a clear winner with the audience through crowd favourite, For The Wolfman. A few rogue cheers coursed through the venue as the four-piece began to play Desperate, the single they were there to release to the world live for the first time. Lead guitarist Matt Tanner looked like a proud father, and as a group, they had every reason to feel that way, with an impressive number of people having already made a considerable effort to learn the song and sing along. Their final tune for the night was certainly the best way to cap off a spectacular performance, with a chorus of punters almost shouting along to Bright Eyes – one of the band's poppier tunes. The conclusion of the set saw the band members pouring thanks onto the cheering audience for their support, and given just how much of it there was, the group's future is looking incredibly bright.