From Dubai's underground to opening for Guns N' Roses: How Naser Mestarihi realised his rock dream
Many people go through life wondering what they would really like to do. Not Naser Mestarihi. He always dreamt of making rock music.
He reached a milestone with his band Winterburn when performing as the opening act at the Guns N' Roses concert in Bahrain last month. The band played three gigs in the Gulf, following Bahrain with shows in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
'Kind of surreal,' is how Mestarihi describes the experience of opening for one of his favourite bands. 'I still can't wrap my head around it.'
Born and brought up in Doha to a Jordanian father and Pakistani mother, the rocker's curiosity in music was initially piqued when he heard The Beatles. But his obsession began when he listened to Guns N' Roses for the first time.
'It's a funny story,' Mestarihi tells The National. 'My uncle worked for a Danish company and one weekend he borrowed a colleague's car, which contained a copy of the album Appetite for Destruction. I was a curious kid, about eight years old, and swiped the cassette.
'I didn't get the whole album because the tape I used to copy it was too short, but what I heard was enough to blow my mind.'
It was a sliding doors moment for Mestarihi. ' Appetite for Destruction was the record that made me want to be a musician' he says.
Guns N' Roses founding member and guitarist Duff McKagan was in Bahrain on May 20 and went backstage to speak to Winterburn before they took to the stage. 'We talked about everything from ancient civilizations and the weather to their travels around the Middle East,' recalls Mestarihi. 'Duff wished us well and gave me a hug. It meant a lot. I went on stage totally energised thinking 'I'm gonna tear it up just for that guy.''
After the concert, Mestarihi ran into McKagan again. 'He was full of praise – said he loved the band and that he was really rooting for us after our chat.'
Mestarihi believes he moved with his family to Dubai at just the right time for his passion to grow. The city was about to host Desert Rock in 2004. The first metal and rock series of concerts in the country featured the likes of Slayer, Sepultura, Machine Head, Mastodon and In Flames.
'Moving to Dubai was cool because there was a real rock crowd – a community,' says Mestarihi. But music venues at the time were less supportive. 'Promoters didn't want to book rock music. One said it was too rock and roll for his venue.'
For years, Mestarihi struggled to realise the plans he had for his band. Even though he was able to become the first Arab musician endorsed by Gibson guitars, he struggled to find collaborators.
In 2021, after other band members 'bailed on him' due to the pandemic, Mestarihi finished the album Ivory Towers by playing every instrument. 'That's been the story for most of my career: producing, funding and tracking everything on my own. I took inspiration from artists like Lenny Kravitz and Prince – playing multiple instruments, managing the whole process.
'It's been a journey, full of obstacles,' Mestarihi adds. 'But I've always pushed through. I just don't give up. I keep going no matter what.'
While playing for Guns N' Roses was a life highlight, Mestarihi's some former band members weren't happy to see him reach those heights without him. 'Not everyone was thrilled though – I could tell,' adds Mestarihi.
The musician moved to Saudi Arabia with his family last year and says it's an ideal place to a grow a rock music fan base. 'Saudis have been very receptive,' he says. 'They appreciate original music. I've seen bands performing their own material and it's impressive. There's a real sense of culture.'
Mestarihi took a year off out of respect for the people suffering in Gaza, but feels reinvigorated. The Guns N' Roses endorsement is just what he needs to finish what he hopes will be his rock masterpiece.
'When I moved to Saudi Arabia last year, a lot of people thought I was done with music,' Mestarihi says. 'I went through a personal crisis. But what no one saw was that I was quietly working away, recording music and writing songs. We now have 17 songs for two upcoming albums. It's going to be incredible.'
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