SHARKO
Brussels, Brussels Capital Region, Belgium | INDIE
Music
Press
(...) Bartholome's accented English keeps everything quirky - almost childlike. The light-heartedness belies the band's genuine sincerity, where a Sharko could have quite fallen into mundane Police and Beatles territory. This is certainly one of the better albums this year. - RE-RAVE (Australia)
"This trio reveals an astonishing gift for the dazzling melodies and the contrasted climates" - 20 Minutes
"The fourth album and, to date, the best one !" - Express
"The Belgians of Sharko gave pleasure" - Guitar Part
"In advance over its time" - Indiepoprock
"Their darkest album, but also the most beautiful" - Keyboard recording
"Essential Sharko" - Magic
"Sharko are distinguished. With their new album, this trio impresses by its rough lyricism, at the crossroads of Police or Captain Beefheart" - Le Monde
"The album finishes by one - No contest I' m the best -. which is not so far from the truth. It is necessary to rediscover Sharko" - Ouest France
"A majestic album !" - Rock Mag
"Lively, significant or disarming songs … tubes relentless… convulsif rock'n'roll" - Rock Sound
"A pearl that we say to you !" - Rolling Stone
"Somewhere between Arcade Fire and Deus ; that is worth the turning" - Telerama
- Selection of French press
Discography
- album "Dance On The Beast" (2009 Bang / Pias)
- album "Molecule" (2007 Bang) - out in France (discograph), Belgium (Bang), Switzerland (Rec Rec), Australia (Low transit industries).
- album "III" (2004 Bang) - out in France -(discograph), Belgium (Bang), Switzerland (Rec Rec).
- album "Meeuws 2" (2001 Bang) - out in France (Wagram), Benelux (Bang), Switzerland (Disques office), UK (Discovery), Italy (Audioglobe), Canada (Fusion III).
- album "Feuded" (1999) - out in France and Belgium.
AIRPLAY
- "Sweet protection" (2007) play listed on Bel RTL, NRJ Belgium, Pure FM,...
- "Motels" (2007) play listed on OUI FM (France), #1 on Pure FM (Belgium), Ferarock (French indie radios)
- "Spotlite" (2004) play listed on France Inter (national state radio), #1 on Pure FM (Belgium), played by OUI FM, indie PL on Le MOUV' (national French rock radio).
- "I went down" (2001) #1 on PURE FM
TVs
Several concerts broadcasted on RTBF (Belgian state TV channel).
"Spotlite" video clip awarded "best video of the week" by M6 (French national TV channel).
Photos
Bio
Belgian's best-loved indie pop band.
Stadium chants ("Excellent", "Spotlite"), phony storytelling ("Rip off a phone call"), epic hit-single ("I went down"), one clean uppercut ("Motels"), witty funny titles ("Bootleg of AC/DC"), moody retro stuff ("Love is a bug"), cartoonish tunes ("Clash P"), intense songwriting ("President"), power emo rock ("Sweet protection"), tear-jerking melodies ("I need someone") and many more.
Sharko are back with a new and 5th album, "Dance On the Beast". A new lead, between power rock and dance illustrated by 1st single "Yo Heart". Definitely Sharko's best album so far!
Please check out our live video!
*** COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY ***
1999: "FEUDED" - the first album is released in Belgium. A "one-man-band" then, Bartholom� plays almost all instruments and gets help from engineer Rudy Coclet to produce most of his songs. "Such a bone" which is included, gets noticed much due to its weird sexy lyrics. The album is also released in Netherlands and France to positive reviews all over.
2000: Single "Wake up" released in January. With the help of guitar player Teuk Henri, Sharko tours as much as they possibly can. Supporting Paul Weller and Muse in France, Netherlands and Belgium, the two men develop a growing live reputation based on bizarre humorous performances by Bartholom� shrouded with wild guitar sounds by Teuk.
2001: "MEEUWS2" - the second album released in march in Belgium, France and Netherlands. Produced by U.S. producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes - whose reputation grows in the U.S.), "MEEUWS2" gets wild reviews. Built around Teuk's guitar playing and intense songwriting by Bartholom�, it includes crowd favorites such as "Bootleg of AC/DC", "Clash P" and "Queen is coming".
Video "I went down" gets airplays on MCM, MTV and other local music stations. Single "Minute" is released in France and catches airplays.
Feeling it's time to get stronger on stage, Julien Paschal joins on drums.
A tour of more than 75 concerts is scheduled.
2003: "MEEUWS2" released in Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Canada.
In the springtime, "MEEUWS2" also gets a release in the U.K. and receives more than warm reviews from the press (The �NME� rates it to a fine 7/10, �The Independent� raises up to an 8/10). Sharko then tours in july with English band Black Nielson thoughout England and Scotland. The tour ends at the Metro club in London (regarded as "concert-of-the-week" for �Time Out� magazine). During that tour, UK magazine �The Face� notices "that crazy promising belgian band" and writes an article. "Meeuws2 isn't the life and soul of the party, but the guy sitting in the corner with a wry smile and a nice line in dry put-downs. Amiable Belgian's UK debut." NME April 2003
2004: "III", Sharko's third album is out in Benelux and France. This new album reveals a much more mature songwriting. Mixed by Ben Findlay (Peter Gabriel), it includes epic songwriting ("President"), phony storytelling ("Rip off a phone call"), funny songs �� la Prince-Beck� (�Luv Mix�), intense alienation (�Bath�), lynchian colours (�Car Was�) and crowd sing-alongs such as 'Excellent'.
Lucent single "Spotlite" is released and gets heavy radio airplays in France. A massive tour is scheduled.
2006: After a one-year hiatus, Sharko returns. Having dealt with a severe breakdown, Bartholom� comes back reluctantly with uncertain feelings.
Sensing an urgency to reach a new (if not higher) level, Sharko contacts and convinces London-based producer Dimitri Tikovoi (Placebo, Goldfrapp, The Horrors) to take control. Songs are heavy and dark, expressing issues Bartholom� no longer wants to hide, Tikovoi pushes them even further.
He dares the band to love the idea of vertigo before guiding them towards breath-taking heights.
2007: Brutal, profound, moody, but definitely sincere, fourth album "MOLECULE" is released in Belgium in january. Single "Motels" is embraced by radios all over their home-country.
Praising the strong production and the straighter songwriting, "MOLECULE" gets wild reviews from convinced critics.
After having sold out the mythical "Ancienne Belgique" in Brussels, they embark on a massive tour to promote the album.
March 2007 sees the release of "MOLECULE" in France and Switzerland. Great press reviews by French musical magazines Les Inrocks, Rolling Stone. Soon followed by Australia and New Zealand in may 2007.
In June 2007, Sharko received 2 Belgian music awards for best band and best album of the year. They performed at the biggest festivals during summmer (Dour, Francofolies de Spa,...) in front of huge crownd.
As a matter of facts, "Sweet protection" entered the play-lists of national radios like Bel RTL and NRJ Belgium.
2008 saw Sharko touring in Canada (CMW Toronto, Montreal) and in NYC. The band performed during summer at big festivals like Les Vieilles Charrues and Solidays in France, as well as Paleo festival in Switzerland,
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