Bert Kreischer sat down with Shannon Sharp on Club Shay Shay in a recent podcast episode and didn’t hold back when discussing international performances and controversial venues. The comedian addressed questions about performing in Saudi Arabia and even entertained the idea of doing a private show for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When the topic of performing in Saudi Arabia came up, Kreischer revealed an interesting detail about why he passed on the opportunity that many of his fellow comedians accepted.
“I got the offer, but they wouldn’t let me perform shirtless, so I passed,” he explained matter-of-factly. For Kreischer, whose shirtless performances have become his signature trademark, this restriction was apparently a dealbreaker.
The conversation took an unexpected turn when Kreischer addressed the hypothetical scenario of performing for Putin.
After reflecting on the controversy surrounding the Riyadh comedy festival, he offered a surprisingly candid take. “You know, after the whole Riyadh comedy festival debacle, if Putin hits me up and he wants me to do a private show, I think PR-wise it’s not a bad look,” Kreischer said.
He continued, doubling down on the idea: “I’ve always put it out there. I like all my boys went over to Riyadh and it didn’t bother me, right? I didn’t know about their politics. I was like, not shirtless.”
When pressed about whether he would actually go through with such a performance, Kreischer was unequivocal. “If Putin hit me up privately and he was like, ‘Yo, I want you to do a stand up. I want to hear your machine.’ I’d be like, ‘I’ll f**king fly to Russia.'”
Sharp asked the obvious follow-up question: would he be scared? “Yeah, I’d be terrified. But I’m still going,” Kreischer responded without hesitation.
His reasoning was in character: “Absolutely. Ride shirtless on a horse with f**king Putin.”
For Kreischer, every experience becomes potential material, and even politically fraught situations present opportunities for storytelling. His connection to Russia runs deep, stemming from his famous “Machine” story about robbing a train with the Russian mafia during a college trip in 1995.
That story, which has become legendary in comedy circles, went viral with over 50 million views and launched him into arena-level success. When asked if he planned on going back to Russia, Kreischer initially said “Never,” but his subsequent comments about Putin suggest he might make an exception under the right circumstances.
