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Darrin: Sasha, welcome. And just out of the gates here, you played
with Billy Idol a way back, did you not?
Sasha: Yes, back in the 90’s.
Darrin: I am surprised that the new album did not really do that
well. Most of Idol’s stuff generally sells really well.
Sasha: In my opinion, they needed to get a new sound this
time around. Find another producer to really shake things up and
change things for them. It has been about 10 years in between
releases for him.
Darrin: I guess..no matter how big you are, people can lose interest
if you stay away that long.
Sasha: Exactly.
Darrin: Let’s take it all the way back here Sasha. You were born in
St. Petersburg Russia, and your mom worked in a hospital there?
Sasha: Yes, she was like a nurses assistant for operations
and stuff like that. When I was a child, I used to hang out there.
Darrin: Is that where your artwork, and artistic style
started to take shape?
Sasha: I guess…I actually wonder about that myself
sometimes. **laughs** What happened to me???...**laughs**
Darrin: So, you spent a lot of time in places like the morgue and
the hospital cemetery? And were actually picked up by the KGB for
it once, and they confiscated all of your sketches?
Sasha: That is kind of a short summary of the story. I was
in one of the biggest bands in Russia, since I was 14 years old. It
was called
ZEMLYANE.
It does not mean anything to American people. We sold something like
20 million records. Didn’t make any money out of it. So yeah, I hung
out with my mom, and saw a lot of body parts and stuff like that in
the morgue, and the cemetery just seemed like a nice quiet place to
go and draw. Then one day…. Russia was really different then.
Churches were illegal for young people to go to in Russia when I was
a kid.
Darrin: Really?
Sasha: Yeah. You could get kicked out of school and all of
that kind of stuff if you got caught going. It was only for older
people. At Christmas time, when people go to church, police would
surround all of the churches. People under 16 would get into
trouble if they were caught trying to attend. Plus I was in a band,
making good money, the neighbors would talk, and the KGB would be
there. It was pretty wild, in one sense you are famous, and a
celebrity there, and the same time that the person that buys a
ticket to see you, actually hates you for having the long hair and
looking different and stuff.
Darrin: So I guess Russia has really changed since you grew up
and left?
Sasha: Oh yeah, absolutely. Now, it can be just as good as
here, well, kind of. You know. Russia has changed a lot, but it
will take a long time to change the mentality of the people there.
Darrin: So from Russia, you moved to the States? Or was there a
stop in there?
Sasha: Well, in my Russian band, we got to travel a lot
around the world, because we were in favor with the Russian
government. I lived in Paris, for like a second. About 6 or 7
months, and played some classical music actually. Played some stuff
for Pierre Cardin, the designer for shows, it was kind of cool, but
boring as hell. Then I came to America, to work on a project with
Desmond Child. He put the project together, and brought 2 guys from
Russia, and some from America, and it was called Red Sky. But, it
never took off, for whatever reasons, I think a problem between
Desmond and the Russian singer. **laughs** I will not go into
details.
So instead of going back to Russia, I spent some time in
Nashville, playing on a couple of records there, then I moved here
to California. I did not really want to go back to the band in
Russia, because even if you make it huge in Russia, you do not
really make it until you are big in the States. So, I was willing to
give up my celebrity life in Russia, to come over here, and try it
out.
Darrin: Well it seems you have found some success out here as well!
Sasha: Yeah! It has been pretty good. It is up and down,
as always, but it sure has it’s moments. I have been fortunate
enough to find a way to make it work. To play the bass. **laughs**
Darrin: How did you meet the guys in the Houseband?
Sasha: I knew most of them from previous projects. Me and
Nate played together with Vanessa Carlton. We did that for about a
year of touring together, and did a bunch of session work in town
together. Jim McGorman, we worked together in a band called New
Radicals. I knew Paul from just mutual friends, and had a couple of
sessions with him previously. And I met Rafa at the gig. I had
heard of him, but had not actually met him. We auditioned, and we
all sort of clicked really well. Thank god everything worked out.
Darrin: It sure has become a well oiled machine.
Sasha: Yeah. It is probably, no definitely the best band
out there in terms of having everything. Great musicians, great
personalities, and we just became good friends. We should keep
going as a band. I do not know whether or not it should keep the
Houseband name?
Darrin: I am going to ask you the same as I have asked the others
about the show. My viewpoint is, that the second season (Supernova)
kind of became less interesting. There was less of a good mix of
music, you had a pretty good idea who would win the whole thing, and
it seemed to lose a bit of it’s edge and charm. Did you feel that
the 2nd season was not quite the same as the first outing
with INXS? Perhaps not as open minded?
Sasha: Yeah. INXS as a band was just so open minded.
They liked rock, pop and everything. There was a very large variety
of music that they were open to. But it is like being a producer.
If you are looking for a singer for a hardcore rock band, you are
going to want to hear different things. It would have been crazy
last season to do stuff like Duran Duran songs for Supernova. I
guess Supernova and the producer guys made some decisions on the
type of music they wanted to hear week to week. We tried different
things. We went acoustic with some songs, and Supernova would say,
there was no acoustic guitar in rock music.
Darrin: **laughs** Yeah..no acoustic guitars in any rock band I have
ever listened to **laughs**
Sasha: Yeah, it was kind of ridiculous. So, it was quite a
challenge. Not musically challenging, but we tended to get bored.
Nirvana songs, Stone Temple Pilots songs….
Darrin: Yeah, A, G and D can get boring after a bit….not that there
is anything wrong with A, G and D…**laughs* I play them all the
time…but you guys were showcased a lot more in the first season. I
guess that is why a guy like Paul Stanley came along and snatched up
the entire band.
Sasha: Exactly **laughs**
Darrin: How did you like the Paul Stanley tour experience?
Sasha: Oh my god!! That was unbelievable. It was the best
time ever on the road. It was like, the best tour. He is
unbelievable. We used to listen to KISS when we were kids in Russia,
and the records were illegal. You could go to jail for having them.
And here I am, playing wit Paul Stanley. I am injured right now. I
had surgery on my leg. I hurt it jumping around on stage during the
tour. But Paul Stanley would call every week to check up on me. It
is cool, but you have to check yourself, because you get a bit star
struck. He is just a really down to earth, awesome guy. A very, very
cool guy.
Darrin: You met Gene Simmons backstage also?
Sasha: He is SO funny. He walks backstage, with this
really hot chick and says “Please, meet my sister” **laughs**
Yeah…sure.
Darrin: I heard there are more dates with Paul Stanley?
Sasha: Yeah, we are going for the whole month of April to
Australia.
Darrin: Nate mentioned that he hoped there would be more domestic
dates with Paul too?
 Sasha:
I think they are looking at it to see if it would be worth it
money wise to do it over the summer. It looks like Rockstar 3 will
not happen until the fall.
Darrin: Seeing you mentioned Rockstar 3, have you heard anything
about it?
Sasha: It is all up in the air. CBS has not decided on
anything yet. They are still interested, but are waiting until the
fall it looks like.
Darrin: Tell me about playing with Nate, the other half of the
Houseband rhythm section:
Sasha: Nate is my groove partner. I am fortunate for
that. He is unbelievable.
Darrin: You will laugh when you see his interview. He says about
the same thing about you, and how you save his ass when he gets lost
in a crazy fill or something. It is nice to hear a rhythm section
that tight though.
Sasha: **laughs** The whole band is so tight, that there
is never a worry about getting lost or anything like that. Jim
Mcgorman is now playing in Avril Lavinge’s band, and not putting
down anyone, but he said that there is a huge difference with what
we have as a band. He called after the first rehearsal, and said “I
know we were good, but not that good” **laughs**
Darrin: It is just the 4 of you guys now, right?
Sasha: Yeah, just the 4 of us right now, with Jim doing
the Avril gig. I would imagine he may come back for Season 3.
Darrin: Are you looking forward to another season of the show, no
matter what it is?
Sasha: Oh yes. I love doing it. For all different sorts of
reasons. Of course I love playing with my band mates. Being in
town, making good money is always good, I have 2 kids. It makes it
harder and harder to go out on the road. You miss them too much.
They grow so fast and they change.
Darrin: I have been looking at your
work on
www.desaart.com As
Nate Morton puts it, Why do you play bass?
Sasha: **laughs** I have been playing bass since I was a
kid. Painting is just one of those things that I have to do. I
bring an easel with me on the road. I stay in the hotels and paint.
Darrin: They featured your art right on the Rockstar INXS show
did they not?
Sasha: Yes. On both season’s, but more on the first season
I think. We had to split the second season, because Jason Newsted
paints as well.
Darrin: Does he? I have never seen any of his work.
Sasha: Pretty cool stuff too. He is a painting machine.
He does these huge canvases in like, no time. He is really good and
a big art fan.
Darrin: Jason left the Supernova band quite quickly.
Sasha: Yeah, I think he used it a bit more to publicize his
band (Voivod) and himself and whatnot. I could not see Jason
staying in that band. On the bench, the really sincere guy was
Jason, aside from Dave Navarro who both really sincerely cared about
contestants, and was really trying to help them.
Darrin: Jason Newsted has integrity. He does what he loves. I
have always liked him.
Sasha: Yes he does
Darrin: So do you paint daily?
Sasha: Well, it is kind of like I do it whenever I can. I
have a studio outside of my house. Quiet, no interruptions, phones
or anything like that. I go there pretty much every day that I am in
town. Sometimes I go through dry periods, where I do not paint at
all. But then I may sketch or draw something. It has been crazy like
this for about the last 10 years or so. My wife is a big part of it
all. She really kicked my ass and got me moving. She inspires me a
lot.
Darrin: Well, I think your career as a traditional artist, is
very much as important as a performing artist. They make you what
you are, especially in your music.
Sasha: Definitely. I have this conversation with the guys in
the band all the time. If I has to choose one of the things, music
or art, what would I choose. I would probably choose art. I would
always play music, but because the business side of it can be so
brutal, but I would always play music with my friends. But if I
could have millions of dollars, I would just get a house in the
south of France, and paint. There is a dream, right?
Darrin: Totally, a great dream! What do you use for gear these
days. Live on the show or gigs?
Sasha: 2001Gallien Krueger amps, 800 RBM’s, those guys
have been really good to me, all of my career in America. With the
show, I have been contacted to endorse a lot of gear, but I am
sticking with GK. I am a Music Man player. For sessions I have some
vintage Fenders. The P Bass to get a different sound. When the show
started, Gibson was very nice to us, and they had a Gibson Les Paul
bass. But they have discontinued them. But 90% of the time I play
Music Man. 
Darrin: Bongo, or Stingray?
Sasha: I play Stingray’s. The guys from EBMM keep asking
me to try the Bongo's out. I will have to give it a try.
Darrin: Do you have any other musical stuff going on?
Sasha: Yes, I have a production company with a partner of
mine. Eric Eldenius, a Swedish guy, It is called Vertigo Muzic
Productions. We look for new talent, and co-write and produce them.
We did some work with Jessica Robinson from the first season. That
is what we want to do with that. It is your business, and you
control it. There is always someone out there that wants to do some
kind of recordings. So we are building that up.
I think the Myspace site has about 1 friend **laughs** I have to
get to work on my networking.
Darrin: Well, you have TWO friends now, because I just added you
while we were talking. I think I am actually number 4 now.
The Iceland shows were crazy you did with the Houseband, Toby, and
Magni.
Sasha: What cool gigs. Do a few of those a year and
retire. I think the first show was 4 and a half hours long. The
people over there were so great.
Darrin: Besides the Houseband, what has been your favorite gig
this far in your career?
Sasha: Billy Idol was a really cool gig. He was one of my
favorite artists growing up. Me, Steve, Billy…It was
awesome..playing White Wedding and all those songs. We were playing
in front of up to 250,000 people in Tempe Arizona and Chicago. That
is probably the biggest shows I have ever played. You do not need
any kind of drugs when you have gigs like that. The rest of the gigs
I have been involved in of course have had their ups and their
downs.
Darrin: You also played bass on James Blunts’ album a year or so
ago. That was a pretty big ground breaking album for him.
Sasha: It was pretty cool to play on that record. I think it
sold something like 10 million albums. It was great. We did the
record, and nothing at all happened for about a year or so. Then all
of a sudden, it took off.
Darrin: Last question. Will you be playing on the new James
Blunt album?
Sasha: Well, he is in LA right now recording. He is very
cool, in that he wants the band that is out on the road with him to
play on the record. I think that is the best thing that can happen
for all of them. He did get a hold of me and I may play a couple of
tracks on the new album.
Darrin: I would say that pays you a very good tribute. Sasha…Thanks
so much for spending all this time with me this afternoon. It has
been awesome getting to know more about you.
Sasha: My pleasure. Thanks.
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If
Sasha Kristov was not such a great guitar player, I would still be
wondering why he is not spending all of his time painting and
sketching. Sasha is multi-talented. A member of the
Houseband, the amazing group of musicians that have assembled to be
the great backing band on the CBS hot shows Rockstar INXS and
Rockstar Supernova, touring bass player for greats such as Billy
Idol and Vanessa Carlton and contributing his bass playing skills
on James Blunt's multi million selling smash album.