Shaka Ponk bids farewell to his fans with final concerts “for the planet”

« It’s the end ». After twenty years of crazy electro-rock, Shaka Ponk is giving its final concerts until Saturday in Paris before its scheduled extinction, a radical decision taken in accordance with ecological convictions that the members of the group intend to continue to defend.

Soon the guitars will vibrate with their last chords and the monkey Goz, the virtual mascot, will set off towards other horizons. This is what the six human members of Shaka Ponk decided, after a tour of more than 60 dates that brought together more than 1.5 million spectators. The Final F* Up tour ends with four sold-out dates at the Accor Arena. « It’s like saying goodbye », confides to AFP Samaha Sam, met in the group’s historic lair, in the heart of the capital. « We are 1,000% but with a lot of emotions. This is what I feel the most. »

« And a little anxiety too… »bounces Frah, another voice of Shaka Ponk, evoking a « complex, psychological and emotional tension » in this decision which they nevertheless carefully considered. « We find ourselves in a paradoxical situation, where we stop doing what we love to do. When we started this band, we never imagined this », he adds.

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« In sync with our beliefs »

But the der des ders cannot only be synonymous with tears and knotted stomachs: Shaka Ponk wants to demonstrate to the end his electro-rock energy, punk tendency, which has always characterized him. The group, which exploded in 2011 with the album The Geeks and the Jerkin’ Socks – third opus including the successes I‘m picky, Sex ball et My name is stain -, was above all designed for live performances. All the more reason to make this finale a great celebration shared with the public.

For fans unable to attend, the last concert will be broadcast in cinemas during a single screening on April 3. And their latest album, Shaka Ponkhas just been published in a reissue enriched with previously unpublished material. The group denounces « a lack of meaning » (« D’essence ») and calls to join the fight (« Resign ») alongside them.

« Shaka » has never made a secret of its deep ecological and social values. « I think what binds us is also a need to be in sync with our convictions. At some point, it’s complicated to tell people to respect the planet, when you yourself have a professional activity that is polluting. », observes Samaha Sam. Despite his efforts to return his « as eco-responsible as possible » on tour, from the hunt for plastics to vegan meals through the refusal of certain brands not compatible with its positioning, the group came up against the environmental impact of the displacement of thousands of spectators, a key but unchangeable parameter.

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Criticism of “overconsumption”

Their initial concept, that of the monkey who explains to man the ineptitude of a happiness which would reside in « overconsumption and social elevation »gradually appeared to be out of step with their success in the music industry. « It’s a kind of failure in the sense that we don’t have a solution. And as long as there is no solution, we stop », summarizes Sam, who specifies that this choice is theirs « own » and that it is not about pointing the finger at other artists.

If each member is free to decide their future projects, Frah and Samaha Sam intend to invest more time in favor of a « awareness »convinced that there remains « things to create », solutions to be invented, particularly in the entertainment industry, and a « public speech » to be heard, in particular via the sounding board of social networks. « I think that music, art in short, allows us to convey important messages »believes Samaha Sam. For his part, Frah is more clear-cut: « We need to put down the guitar and try to help the firefighters. It has become more urgent. » This commitment will be carried out through The Freaks, a collective they have set up, made up of artists and personalities mobilized for the planet.