The Sharp

The Sharp was a 3-piece pop/rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The band formed in 1988 with Charlie Rooke on guitar and lead vocals, Allan Catlin on double bass and lead vocals, and Danny Simcic / Tony Day on drums. They performed live gigs around Melbourne/Geelong; a mix of rockabilly and 50's rock'n'roll cover songs, which brought keen rock'n'roll dancers from all over Melbourne to their shows. In between performances, Rooke and Catlin wrote original songs, both individually and jointly, and collaborated many future hits together. After releasing two EPs independently, they were signed to (Warner Music) in 1992. Piet Collins, who was writing 'Neighbours' episodes at the time, took over as the band's drummer due to other commitments for both Danny Simcic & Tony Day. They had their first hit single 'Talking Sly', written & sung jointly by Charlie Rooke and Allan Catlin, featuring wild psychobilly guitar over Manchester funk grooves. The Sharp released their debut album 'This is The Sharp/This is The Sharp' in 1993, achieving 7 ARIA nominations and an MTV top 40 gold record. A world tour followed in 1994, where the band toured U.S.A., U.K., SWEDEN and GERMANY, and were signed and released in 14 international territories, receiving 5-star media reviews and full houses for every show. 'Sonic Tripod', the band's second album, was released in August 1994. Singles included 'Honest & Sober', 'Alone Like Me' (their highest charting top 40 single) and 'Spider'. The Sharp produced a string of MTV top 40 hit singles, including Train of Thought, Scratch My Back, Talking Sly and Alone Like Me . They became known for their black high neck tops|skivvies and energetic live shows, including Catlin balancing on his double bass while playing, and Rooke leaping off the drum kit mid-guitar solo. In 1995, Warner Music International offered The Sharp European Residency and international promotion, at which point they disbanded due to burn out. Currently, Catlin is writing and performing new music. Rooke is a studio session guitarist for Polish-Australian film composer Cezary Skubiszewski, writing music, teaches guitar in Melbourne, and runs his own secondhand book shop. Collins is working in media journalism.

In July 2010, the band reunited for a series of shows in Australia, playing venues in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Discography

Albums

• This Is the Sharp (1993)
• Sonic Tripod (1994)
• Single File (The Best of The Sharp) (1995)
• Skeletons in the Closet (1996)

Singles and EPs

• Love Your Head (1992)
• Spinosity (1992) AUS #28
• Train of Thought (1993) AUS #32
• Scratch My Back (1993) AUS #40
• Yeah I Want You (1993) AUS #44
• Alone Like Me (1994) AUS #20
• Honest and Sober (1994)
• Spider (1994)
• Release the Rats (1994)
• Thank You Good Night (1995)

"Release the Rats" was a 5 track split promo EP to support a tour with Francis Dunnery.

Videos

• This Is the Sharp (1993)

Filmclips

• Talking Sly
• Scratch My Back
• Yeah I Want You
• Train of Thought
• Where am I Now?
• Alone Like Me
• Honest and Sober
• Spider

External links

• The Sharp discography at MusicBrainz
• Alone Like Us: Fan page with comprehensive discography
• The Sharp at Last.fm
• Like Sharp