Ground-breaking Wollongong band Tumbleweed are about to play their first shows in almost a decade.The original line-up of the Australian grunge pioneers - singer Richie Lewis, guitarists Lenny Curley and Paul Hausmeister, bassist Jay Curley and drummer Steve O'Brien - will perform at Homebake in Sydney on December 5.One of the biggest bands ever to come from Wollongong, it supported US grunge heroes Nirvana on their only Australian tour, signed to a US record label when its members were barely out of high school and released indie classics like Stoned, Daddy Long Legs and Sundial.
PROFILE: Taking a tumble with iconic band Tumbleweed Last Illawarra band standing opens Play Day But infighting and the acrimony created by the sacking of Hausmeister and O'Brien and, later, Jay Curley seemed likely to forever quash the idea of a reunion.It appears an Illawarra Mercury Weekender retrospective about the band published last November may have been partially responsible for the re-formation.It is understood that the story, which touched on previous attempts to reform the band, led to the band members to start discussing it again."The time is right for us right now," Lenny Curley said."We've dealt with all our old demons and we're all very enthusiastic about getting the band back together. There have been tensions there over the years for obvious reasons but I think we've finally reached a level where we're comfortable with one another and we really want to have another crack at it."Curley says the band may stay together after Homebake.For Curley, the best thing about the Homebake show is that his son - a fan who has only seen dad's band play on the website YouTube - can watch a live Tumbleweed gig.
