Pushking

Band ?Pushking? was created on August 27, 1994. Initially the name of the band was ?Lost and Found?. Since the name ?Lost and Found? in many ways was considered to be excessively pro-Western our partners suggested to change it. On August 27, 1994 an ordinary German guy Martin Schiffler, who was on his private visit to St.Petersburg, brings up a new name ? ?Pushking?. ?Pushking? is a slang word which consists of two parts ? ?push? and ?king?. Hence in 1994 a new band with the name ?Pushking? was born.

?Pushking? is a slang word which consists of two parts ? ?push? and ?king?. Hence in 1994 a new band with the name ?Pushking? was born.

In 1995 Konstantin ?Koha? Shustarev, who inspired all the ideas, wrote music and was responsible for all organizational questions, records a demo disc. The disc consists of 12 songs with the participation of Viktor Drobish ? keys, Nikolai Yegerev ? guitar, Valeriy Sudakov ? bass-guitar. Viktor Drobish sent this demo to Germany, where it came in to the hands of people, who were working at ?Dolphin Studio? records. At that time such famous bands as ?Toto?, ?Moody Blues?, and ?Jenifer Rush? were recorded there. After listening to the demo the German side suggested to record a disc and consequently promote it in Europe.

Hence in 1996 at this studio ?Pushking? records their first English album ?V.I.P? (?Very Important Pushking?). Following musicians took part in this record: Koha Shustarev ? vocals, Victor Drobish ? keys, Nikolai Yegerev ? guitar, Alexander Skrjabin ? guitar, Valeriy Sudakov ? bass-guitar, Andrey ?Drjunja? Kruglov ? drums. Producer of the record is a famous American guitar-player and a producer Bruce Gowdy.

In the same year 1996 the band performs in Germany in a big famous festival ?Sound of Frankfurt?. After receiving positive reviews from critics and press from the festival the musicians of the band move to Germany to work on their tense concert schedule. By this time some changes have happened in the band: instead of guitar player Nikolai Yegerev the band invites young Valery Kocheguro, who was a beginner at the time. From 1996 till 1999 the band has given more than 400 concerts in Germany and Switzerland. ?Pushking? participates in a famous festival ?Kingdom Festival? in Belinzona (Switzerland).

In 1998 Koha and Victor Rohin, who was a sound producer of the band at the time, in an amateur studio in Frankfurt-on-Main (Germany) record a demo disc ?To All the Losers?. Since the disc was recorded without appropriate financial support it was released only in the year 2000 by ?Bomba Piter? company in St. Petersburg. Although the record was a demo quality one Koha decides to release it in the market since the songs from this disc are used in the concerts of the ?Pushking? band and are very much loved by the fans of the band. Following musicians took part in the recording of the disc: Koha ? vocals, acoustic guitar; Andrey ?Drjunja? Kruglov ? drums; Alexander Skrjabin ? guitar, mandolin; Valery Kocheguro ? guitar, nylon; Valery Sudakov ? bass-guitar; producer ? Koha; sound producers ? Koha, Victor Rohin. Later on Koha decides to dedicate this record to the guitar player of the band, Alexander Skrjabin, and to the sound producer, Victor Rohin.

In the end of 1997 Victor Drobish (keys) leaves the band. In 1999 some other changes happen in the band. Dmitry Losev, a young musician from St. Petersburg, takes place of Alexander Skrjabin (guitar). In the end of the same year a famous sound producer Andrey Deykov (?Brilliant ear of Russia?) takes place of Victor Rohin. At the same time the band records their first Russian album ?10-th Circle? at ?Dobrolet? studio in St. Petersburg, which was released by ?Bomba Piter? company. Following musicians participated in the record: Koha ? vocals, acoustic guitar; Andrey Kruglov ? drums; Dmitry Losev ? guitar; Valery Kochguro ? guitar; Valery Sudakov ? bass-guitar; Michael Zhidkih - saxophone; Vladimir Savenok ? keys; producer ? Koha; sound producer ? Alexander Martisov.

In the year 2000 the band was working on the album ?Keepers of the Nature and Art?. It is the first conceptual album of the band. All texts for the album were created by Valery Kommisarov. The album was recorded at ?Dobrolet? studio and was released the same year by ?Bomba Peter? company. Following people took part in recording the album: Koha ? vocals, acoustic guitar; Andrey Kruglov ? drums, Dmitry Losev ? guitar; Valery Kocheguro ? guitar,nylon; Valery Sudakov ? bass-guitar; Michael Zhidkih ? saxophone; Nikita Zaitsev ? violin; Vladimir Savenok ? keys; producer ? Koha; sound producer ? Alexander Martisov.

This same year ?Bomba Piter? company releases a double album of the band ?Pushking Volume 1? and ?Pushking Volume 2?, which include 30 songs from the previously released records and demo versions of the songs of the band, which were never release before and were used only in concert programs of the band. At the same time a video ?Koha Birthday Party? is being released, material for which was shot at the ?Uley? club in St. Petersburg at Koha's birthday party in 1998. In this video Koha presents performances of his friends-musicians from bands ?Zarok?, ?Riba Kosjakami?, acoustic concert of the ?Pushking? band and five videos of the band for the songs ?The Garden Undone?, ?Mama?, ?Kukarracha?, ?Bashmaky? and ?Bye bye Leningrad?.

In 2001 Valery Kocheguro (guitar) and Valery Sudakov (bass-guitar) leave the band. Instead of them a bass-guitar player Roman Nevelev and a famous keys player Oleg Bondaletov join the band. In summer of the same year the band has a very successful performance on a bikers' festival in Olgino in St. Petersburg, where they got very positive reviews from critics and the press. In September the band signs a contract for ten years with the so-called ?Producers' Group?, which includes famous Moscow businessmen and politicians. ?Pushking? moves to Moscow. A video is being shot for the Russian version of the song ?Kukarracha?.

The most remarkable events for the ?Pushking? band in the beginning of the year 2000 were their performances in Moscow in the Gorky Park in front of the audience of 50 thousand people, at a rock festival in Tushino and taking part in a TV program ?Star Start?, which was shot in Surgutsk and was shown on the NTV channel.

In the end of June ?Pushking? invites a new second guitar player, a famous Moscow rock musician, Vadim Vershinin, and with his participation creates a new concert program. At the same time the band signs a contract for performing in September with a famous Scottish band ?Nazareth? in five major cities of the Urals and Volga region. Later in London together with Dan MacCafferty, leader of the ?Nazareth? band, the song ?I Love You? is being recorded. On October 14 in St. Petersburg on the small stage of the ?Yubilejnij? the final concert of the big Russian ?Pushking?-?Nazareth? tour is being held. During this concert a video for this song was shot. Later the song ?I Love You? was included in the sound track for the Russian-American movie ?The prize is a flight to space? based on the script of a famous Russian politician and diplomat Alexey Mitrofanov. Also 2 other videos were shot in that year: ?Kukarracha? and ?Mama? for the Russian versions of these songs, which later were successfully rotated on ORT, RTR, TVC and TNT TV channels.

Year 2003 apart from different parts of concerts is also marked with major festivals: in May ?Pushking? took part in the ?Maxidrome? festival, which was held in Moscow on the ?Olimpiysky? stadium; in June ? rock festival in St. Petersburg on the ?Kirovsky? stadium; in August ? the 6-th International Bikers' Festival in Olgino. The end of the year was marked with the presentation of the long awaited Russian album ?Dorogaya? (?Darling?), which took place in the ?Hollywood Nights? night club in St. Petersburg. Together with Sergey ?Shnur? Shnurov and Koha sings a famous anti-pop song ?Bashka?.

2004 ? The band works hard on a Russian album ?Poka Ja Zhivoy? (?While I am Alive?), which is dated for the 10 years anniversary of the band. The album turns out to be pretty remarkable. There are several interesting duets in it: already famous song ?Bashka? with Shnur (?Leningrad?), duets with Alexander Monin (?Cruise?), Anatoly Aleshin (?Araks?) and some others. At the same time ?Pushking? records an English song with a famous American musician and singer Kelly Keeling (Kelly Keeling ? Alice Cooper, ?Baton Rouge?, Carmine Appice, Don Dokken, ?Guitar Zeus?, ?Heaven and Earth?, John Norum, ?Killer Bud?, ?King Kobra?, ?Michael Shenker Group?), which in a way was a continuation of the duets that ?Pushking? did with world rock stars.

In the beginning of the year 2005 the band starts recording a new album "No Comment". The recording takes place in two capitals of Russia ? Moscow and St. Petersburg. Not so long ago fans of the ?Pushking? band were celebrating the release of another album ? "Village Songs", presentation of which took place in St. Petersburg in April and in Moscow in May, and also the release of the long awaited DVD of the band ? ?Pushking ? 10 years?.

Not so long ago some changes have happened in the band. Roman Nevelev left the band and a new participant has joined it, a very talented bass-guitar player Andrey Samoilov. A new concert program is being created with his participation.

Today we are celebrating the release of the rock suite "FREDDIE", which Koha wrote already in 1998, but the release took place in March 2007.

Year 2008 has been proven to be another successful step for the band.
Album "I Believe" with lyrics written in English was released for the delight of fans. That may be considered as new span on the way of Pushking's development because of its incredible depth and unusual combination of musical styles.

At the same time Pushking launches new project which is long time dream of Konstantin Shustarev - recording of album "The World As We Love It". Concept of this album is based on idea that hand picked compositions included in previous Pushking albums will be performed by featured artists from all around the world.
This is unique project just because musical part was written by Russian composer (Koha) and all the songs lyrics were written by Russian poets (Oleg Savilov and Valery Kommisarov) but performers are greatest rock-artists who newer joined any another album in such combination.
Along with Koha prominent participants of this project are:

Alice Cooper,
Paul Stanley (KISS),
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top),
Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple),
John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep),
Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Deep Purple, ex-Rainbow),
Dan McCafferty (Nazareth),
Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey),
Graham Bonnet (ex-Rainbow, ex-MSG, Alcatrazz),
Eric Martin (ex-Mr. Big),
Udo Dirkschneider (ex-Accept, U.D.O.),
Jorn Lande

as well as great guest musicians and rock-guitarists:

Steve Lukather (TOTO),
Steve Vai,
Steve Stevens,
Joe Bonamassa,
Stevie Salas,
Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper),
Eric Ragno,
Matt Filippini,
Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme),
Al Perkins
Alex de Rosso,
Tony Morra,
Tony Paoletta,

Producer of the project- famous American musician ? and producer Fabrizio Grossi.





Current line-up

Konstantin "Koha" Shustarev : Vocals, Guitar founder member
Andrey Samoilov : Bass
Oleg Bondaletov : Keyboard
Dmitry Losev : Guitar
Andrey "Drjunja" Kruglov : Drums

Former/Past members

Roman Nevelev : Bass
Vladimir Savenok : Keyboard
Valery Kocheguro : Guitar
Valery Sudakov : Bass
Alexander Skrjabin : Guitar
Nikolai Yegerev : Guitar
Viktor Drobish : Keyboard

Albums

VIP - Very Important Pushking (CD - 1996)
Vol. I (Compilation - 1999)
Vol. II (Compilation - 1999)
10th Circle (CD - 1999)
To All the Losers (Compilation - 2000)
Keepers of the Nature and Art (CD - 2000)
Darling (CD - 2003)
The Best (Compilation - 2005) mp3
While I Am Alive (CD - 2005)
No Comment (CD - 2005)
Village Songs (CD - 2006)
Freddie (CD - 2007)
I Believe (CD - 2008) mp3
World As We Love It (CD - 2011)