TUMBLEWEED DEC – JAN ’11

TUMBLEWEED ALBUM & TOUR – ‘THE WATERFRONT YEARS’

Musical legends in Australia, the ‘stoner rock’ riffs of Wollongong’s Tumbleweed inspired a whole generation of music lovers when they emerged in 1990s from the seeds of the Proton Energy Pills and The Unheard. Tumbleweed burst onto the scene in a huge way by gaining infamy courtesy of a national support slot to the one and only Australian tour by the legendary Nirvana back in 1992.

Originally signed to the revolutionary Australian independent label, Waterfront Records, the band’s debut release was a 7” single, “Captain’s Log”, recorded by Mudhoney frontman Mark Arm and legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino. With their single “Stoned”, an EP titled Weedseed and the single “Acid Rain” making them bigger by the day, the ‘Weed’s self-titled debut album (out locally on Waterfront Records) was released to massive praise and chart sales, resulting in a rather quick signing to the American giant Atlantic Records’ subsidiary Seed – although that’s another story!

It didn’t take long for Australia’s major labels to realise that a national treasure existed in the five piece, after which Polydor Records became the recording home of Tumbleweed in ‘92. Tumbleweed released the (in)famous albums Galactaphonic and Return To Earth, all the while undertaking countless tours around the country as well as throughout the UK.

Despite their chequered history with its many ups and downs including several band line-up changes, Tumbleweed have let bygones be bygones and the original line up is once again on speaking terms and playing  and writing together for the first time in almost fifteen years. Add to this a double cd recently reissued – “The Waterfront Years” – out now on Aztec Music. It contains all of the bands recordings from the first single until just before they signed the deal moving from Waterfront to Polydor Records.

To celebrate this release, Tumbleweed will embark on some special NSW shows in late December 2010 and early January 2011. This will be Tumbleweed’s first Sydney headlining show with the original line up since 1994 and the fact that old mates The Meanies are on the Metro show  makes for an even bigger event not to be missed!