The Sharp, a Melbourne-based pop rockabilly band, formed in 1991 with Allan Catlin on double bass and lead vocals, Piet Collins on drums, and Charlie Rooke on guitar and lead vocals. The group initially played covers of 1950s rock 'n' roll and rockabilly tunes before releasing their debut CD three-track single "Love Your Head" in June 1992. They were signed to East West Music/Warner Music Australasia later that year, and their first breakthrough came with the Spinosity EP in 1992, which featured “Talking Sly” and peaked at number 28 on the ARIA Charts. The Sharp released their debut album, This Is the Sharp, in September 1993, which peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album was promoted with an Australian tour supporting Spin Doctors and received two ARIA Award nominations for "Talking Sly". In August 1994, their second album, Sonic Tripod, also reached number 13 and featured their highest-charting single, "Alone Like Me", which peaked at number 20 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The band embarked on a world tour in 1994 across the US, UK, Sweden, and Germany. Early in 1995, Adam May replaced Collins on drums, but the group announced their disbandment due to burnout later that year. Their last gig was performed at the Hallam Hotel on October 22, 1995. A posthumous collection of previously unreleased studio tracks, Skeletons in the Closet, was released in 1996.
