7 Years of Rock: The Red Stars' Anniversary Blowout

By Ned Kelly, September 17, 2025

With over 1,300 concerts, 1,000 broken guitar strings, hundreds of shattered drumsticks, 100,000+ audience members, and innumerable good times under their belt, The Pearl's Red Stars are celebrating their 7th Anniversary Show this Saturday.

We caught up with them ahead of the big night. First up: some introductions...

The Singing Star: Ksenia

I'm from Russia, from a small town called Birobidzhan on the other side of the Amur River.

I started performing in singing competitions when I was four years old and haven't stopped singing since.

I began as a solo artist and then joined different bands and vocal groups to gain more experience.

The Bass Star: Eugene

I'm also from Russia. I played guitar in the cover band Nothing Personal in Russia starting in 2013. I also played guitar in an original death metal band called State Of Affect.

The Drum Star: Gil

I'm from Belgium. I've been working as a drummer for 20 years now, but most of my career really took off here in Shanghai.

The Guitar (& Hair) Star: Alex

I've always been drawn to forests and rivers—these are the landscapes where I spent a huge part of my life, and it's precisely that feeling of nature I find missing in a megacity like Shanghai.

Music became the love of my life the moment I first heard the roar and wail of an electric guitar on my older brother's audio cassettes.

How did the band get together?
Ksenia: I was invited to join the rock band Nothing Personal, back in Russia, where I met Eugene and later Alex.

Alex: I met Eugene back in our school years. I've also known our vocalist, Ksenia, since we were young.

The guys were playing together in Russia when they received an offer to perform in China. They decided to bring me on as the lead guitarist and called me up in Thailand, where I was living at the time.

Gil: Grant, also known as Papa G, brought the Red Stars to the bar I used to work at before. I had a good connection with the band over the previous couple of years, and when their drummer left, I joined.

Alex: Since then, we've been carrying the fire of rock'n'roll in the temple known as The Pearl.

Alex carrying the fire of rock'n'roll

What do you remember about your first show seven years ago?
Ksenia: I remember there were only two people in the audience for our first show!

We were very nervous but gave it our all. Slowly but surely, more and more people started to discover who we were.

Gil: I was very anxious, but as soon as we played the first song, I knew it would all go really well!

Tell us about some of your most memorable shows over the years...
Alex: One of our most memorable early shows was the Grunge 90s festival. It's a genre the entire band loves.

Several celebrities I had met at the annual Expo Shanghai music instrument show were in the audience, including Guy Pratt, the bassist who has performed with David Gilmour for years.

Alex with Guy Pratt (right), the British bassist who has worked with Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, and more

Gil: The first time we played the Queen tribute with the incredible duo of Ksenia and Trenton was unforgettable.

Every time we play Coldplay's 'The Scientist' or 'Viva la Vida,' seeing the crowd light up with flashlights or jump from excitement is magical.

I also love seeing people sing along to deeper cuts during our Pink Floyd tribute, Pearl Floyd. It's such a rich and diverse show.

We play songs from nearly every album and cover so much of their legacy—I'm incredibly proud of that one.

The Pearl Floyd tribute show

What is it you love about putting together your legendary tribute shows?
Ksenia: It's all about full immersion into the music, history, and culture of the artist: choosing songs, watching live shows, learning and practicing together, and picking out outfits.

Some of the first most enjoyable ones were Queen, Linkin Park, ABBA, and U2. Later, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Pink Floyd... the list goes on and on!

Eugene: In the tribute shows, we often collaborate with guest performers, which makes every rehearsal a fresh experience and creates a uniquely electric atmosphere on stage.

Alex: The shows that are especially dear to me are the ones where the audience completely dissolves into the music.

"The audience completely dissolves into the music"

If you could only pick one song to represent the band, what would it be?
Alex: Choosing one song is no easy task with a repertoire of about 500 songs. The main thing is to enjoy the moment and give 350,473%!

We do a pretty great 'Man in the Box' by Alice in Chains. Hmm... or 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin, 'Chasing Pavements' by Adele.

Or maybe, 'Simple Song' by IONU, which is the name we use for the band when we are performing our own original music.

Ksenia: It's so hard to choose just one—there are so many! But I would choose 'Somebody to Love' by Queen.

Eugene: 'Simple Song' by IONU, our own original music.

Gil: 'We Are the Champions' of course!

They will, they will rock you!

Finally, what can people expect from your 7th Anniversary show?
Gil: People should brace themselves for a selection of songs that all four of us are absolutely crazy about. Only the most exciting songs will be played!

Also, get ready for whatever dance moves Alex has prepared...

Alex: In the coming week, charge up with enough energy to go all out. I will be with you!

Red Stars 7th Anniversary

So there you have it: The Red Stars, the explosive house band of The Pearl, will celebrate seven years of energizing Shanghai's live music scene this Saturday, with doors opening at 6pm and the concert from 9pm.