Naser Mestarihi, Winterburn: First All-Arab Band to Open for Guns N' Roses | Ep. 519 - Appetite for Distortion

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know. This is Appetite for Distortion.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Episode number five
hundred and nineteen. Welcome to the podcast, Nas from Winterbourne.
How are you, sir?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you very much, thank you for having me. I'm good. Thanks.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
I want you, though, to say your name the way
it's meant to be said. We had a nice conversation
off the air. You know, my listeners hear me butcher
names all the time, and I want to make sure
it's you know, I wanted to say nasr, but you
say with the horse they are the right inflection. So
how do you say your name?

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, it's it's so, it's Nasa. We have that slot
in Arabic, which a lot of English, non Arabic speakers
won't be I wouldn't be able to pronounce. We have
a lot of Arabic words. It's similar to like let's
say uh Finnish Hebrew. They have the sure, we have
the you know, like we have a lot of those

(01:27):
gut re roll sound. But yeah, so Nas. People call
me nas just because, like I mentioned earlier, like I
had guys calling me Naser in America and I was like,
nah man, like I.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Knew it was. You know, it might sound cool like
Naser the laser if you were I hated it.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
I had that, and in England I had guys go
to Nausea, which is a completely different name, and I'm like, no,
that's not my name. So most of the most of
my friends in England growing up would call me Nas
or Nas in America. So I'm like, I'm good with
either if your Arab. Most Arabs get it to their

(02:09):
like nozzle.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, I wish even to going through Hebrew school and
learning to hold you know, and him. I still I can't.
I can barely speak English man. It's been also a bastardized,
so I won't be. It's always funny, you see the
certain people who try to do the accent but just
end up sounding really corny when they try to say it.
And I don't want to be that person. So all

(02:33):
mistakes are genuine. But let's just stay with Nas and
winter Burn. I could pronounce quite easily. I'm happy to see.
I'm sure some fans may have seen you open for
guns and roses, like just to kind of get right
into it that part of it, like who is this guy?
Why are we talking about names? Because you're one of

(02:54):
the many where I responded to it, like with Brandon,
You're like, I think his name was Rando.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, yeah, like I mentioned, yeah, like I heard your show.
I've listened to your show before, and I'm like, I'm
pretty sure his name is I thought his name is
Brando on the show and I was like, I was like, okay,
I guess it's Brandon. And when I responded back, I'm like,
is he gonna get offended? Was it auto correct or something?
But I'm like, what, yeah, Well, funnily enough about winter Burn.

(03:25):
That was specifically why I picked that name was six
years ago when so this band was basically my solo
band for a long the longest time ever. And then
years ago we were in talks to tour in England
and opened for a pretty well established band and I said, hey, man,

(03:46):
I don't think it's wise to go out with the
name No Slots City. Hey as a touring band, it's
going to be weird. Some English guy in a remote
or you know, some out outer like some north during
town is like what the fuck is that?

Speaker 4 (04:01):
You know?

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Like, sorry, I don't know, I don't know if.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
You can't swear, I mean, I know, you said you've listened,
which I appreciate. I always think nobody listens, and then
people like you tell me that. But even though it's
not a lot, I do curse on this podcast.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
So yeah, you know, I know, but like you know,
I don't want I don't want to overstep the line.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
But but yeah, I like, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah, so I changed the name because of that, and
then uh, and then I wanted the guys in the
band also collaborate and write with me, because it was
always my kind of thing. I was modeled after sort
of Lenny Krabitz or prints, which is, play all the
instruments except the drums because I kind of suck at
drums and produce and do all of that stuff. But

(04:46):
then I really wanted just to put a band together.
It started, you know, to weigh on me, like the
whole process of doing everything on my own. I wanted
to collaborate with people, you know. But so yeah, and
yes we did open for Guns N' Roses, which is
kind of kind of surreal. Man, it's only been so

(05:08):
we're sorry.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
Sorry. What show it was in? Riad?

Speaker 3 (05:11):
Was that?

Speaker 1 (05:12):
Was that?

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Where it was? It was? Well, we we almost opened
that one too. We did the Behleen and that's kind
of a controversial topic actually, and I actually had a
a kind of a premonition about that the other day,
and I'm.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Like, should I discuss this when Brando and I talk.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
Or is it going to be too spicy?

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Whatever you're comfortable with. You know, we're all welcome.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
I don't care, Okay, I wear my heart on my
sleeve and I speak facts, bro like it can't you
can't really dispute it. But we played. We did the
Behineen one, which was, to be honest, our target. We
wanted to play the Bahrain day and one because Behinnon
is really close. Uh, It's like it's a soft spot
spawn in my heart. Even though I live in Saudi,

(05:55):
I'm based in Saudi, but to the band is based
between Behin, so I live on the east coast of
Saudi and my bandmates live about thirty minutes away on
the west coast of bah So we're sort of like,
you know, it's just a drive over a bridge. And
when they announced th re off, we had actually approached
the promoter about that show first and didn't really hear

(06:20):
back for a couple of days. So I was like,
you know what, let's go approached, you know, betraying the
arena guys and behraying you know, to submit to open
for that. And we we obviously had management, our management
get in touch with them, then they got in touch
with Guns's management and then that's how all of that

(06:41):
worked out. And I had to keep this on the
down low for from January all the way to March.
I found out that we were opening the show in March,
and then April I got a second confirmation about you're
on stage on the main stage with Guns n' Roses
because no band had from this region had ever supported
a major act on that stage, the arena's main stage,

(07:05):
which is Aldana Amphitheater, and so we were going to
be the first, which basically we set a president president
for all these bands in the Arab or Middle Eastern region.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
The first band ever open for Guns and Roses ever.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yeah, yeah, like yeah, I mean there were a couple
of bands, the previous lineup which was the Bumbled I
mean previous like two lineups ago when it was ron
Thaal and dj Ashben all of those guys. They came
down to Dubai. I think it was in twenty ten
or something and I went to that showing up with

(07:39):
Levy and Yas Arena and there was a band that
opened for them, and I believe they were from Dubai.
I can't remember who was, but we're the first full
Arab band, so that's kind of like a significant thing.
Everyone's it's you know what I mean. Yeah, And we're
the first air band to play on that the stage

(08:00):
of that arena, which was pretty cool, like they and
they didn't know, like they so to them, their perception was, oh,
it's a local band, but we're a regional band. We
played shows all over the Middle East. I've played around
the world, not just the Middle East. I've been doing
this for a long time, and so they didn't know
what to expect and I think there was a lot
of trepidation because of that. And I mean I had

(08:23):
some trepidation to myself, bro, because I'm like, it's fucking
guns n' Roses. You know, it's kind of a trip,
because I mean, this is the first band I ever
got into, other than maybe the Beatles. It was the
first real rock and roll, you know, hard rock, dangerous
sort of band I ever got into. It was Guns

(08:43):
N' Roses and they're i'd say my favorite band. My
favorite bands are like Guns and Roses, Van Halen and Sabbath,
but Guns and Roses were the first band that led
that spark and I still love them to the State
Appetites my favorite all time record, you know, favorite debut
album by any band. So it was it was a
trip like it was where we were aiming for the

(09:04):
stars in a way, because the biggest rock really realistically
on the TOURINGUM started today, I think there were, if
not the Stones, they were probably one of the biggest
rock and roll bands, probably top three. So you're aiming
for something massive, man. But and my bandmates, I think
thought whatever, dude, because I sent him a text. I'm like, guys,
I'm I'm pushioning to get us to open Forgether N' Roses.

(09:26):
And I think they thought, like, this guy's fucking nuts.
But I was legit, like I had the whole presentation
prepared like an ePK, send it over to our management.
I had stage plots drawn, like this is what it's
going to look like, this is what our productions like
these are, you know. I had a light production thing
going on, like it was a full on show and everything,

(09:51):
Oh it wasn't even a PowerPoint. It was even more
advanced than powerpoints kind of garbage. I had to go
like full on. It was a full on in there,
active ep K with videos and all kinds of press
clippings and reviews and you know, what are we doing
and what have we done? And obviously, you know, being

(10:12):
a Gibson artists played a role in it, because you
know that gives you a little more religious There's no
other Gibson artists in the Middle East or in West Asia,
so that also gives you a little more credibility when
you approach.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
So, yeah, you're the only Gibson artists in the region.

Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, in the Arab region, I'm the only Arab Gibson
artist ever, which is unless unless there's anyone as far
as I know, I mean Arab, Yes, Middle Eastern, as
far as I know, Yeah, I mean Middle Eastern. We're
talking the Arabian Peninsula and let's say the greater Greater
Middle East as far as I know. I confirmed it
with them. They're like, yeah, you were the first guy

(10:48):
we ever signed on, and I was like, well that's
pretty pretty rad.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
Well, rad is one way to put it. Are you
able to elaborate on the rad like, how does that
make you you feel in this world of you know,
controversy and all these things around to be a first
of this and why it is why it's taken so long.
You know, I was talking to you just before we
started recording, and I said to you, you just sound

(11:15):
you sound and talk and behave like somebody would be
my neighbor here in Queens and the music, I mean,
my god, if you guys haven't heard Winterburn yet, just
pause the podcast. And he mentioned like van Halen, it's
like it's like it's the very early van Halen voice
you have that I was gonna use, in a lovingly

(11:35):
term the hair metal era you have that it's not
a hair metal band, it's a rock and roll band,
but you have that that voice. And I was like,
very few, and I'm like, this isn't I'm just like,
I'm telling you the truth. This is an organic response,
you know. I obviously I do a ton of interviews,
and there are bands I don't interview any band I
don't dislike, but there could be bands on here that

(11:58):
I'm like, okay, and I'll listen to this song. Okay.
I heard your voice for a second, I'm like, oh, okay,
I don't even need it. I heard the rest of
the song after that, but I paused it and I
was like, all right, this guy's this guy's good. Like oh,
it was just like a note of your voice. So
uh so yeah, guys, just listen if you have any
check at winter Burn and then come back to the podcast.
And now we continue the conversation like how does it

(12:21):
does it make you feel well? Because I mean, it's crazy,
there's so much this all this all my my tangent
trying to find the right words. There's so many variables
to think about when you're the first of arab of
opening for gn R of Gibson Artists of just I'll
shut up now, how does that make you feel?

Speaker 1 (12:40):
There?

Speaker 3 (12:40):
You get it? It's uh. I don't think I even
get time to sort of sit and think about it,
you know, like and and sort of absorb or grasp
what's going on, Like the Guns and Roses opening for
Guns and Roses. Things still hasn't hit me because I'm
sort of in that go go, go go like mindset

(13:02):
all the time, Like there's so much shit just going
on all the time. The thing with the guns and
Roses show was it was a very strange, like there
were so many emotions tied to it, a lot overwhelmingly positive,
right like because when I first found out, I was
about to cry.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Dude.

Speaker 3 (13:21):
I was like, I've had this record, not this specific vinyl.
I've had this since I was like seven or eight
years old. This one I've had for over two decades.
It's from Amiba in Hollywood, and I'm showing you this
because I want to sort of put you in my mindset.

(13:41):
When Guns and Roses first reunited in twenty sixteen, it
didn't take me a couple of hours to go online
check the dates. As soon as the tickets were on sale,
and I was like, first Cali date, I'm there and
it was San Diego Qualcombe Stadium, and I'm bought this
and it cost me a shitload of money, you know.

(14:02):
I got the Paradise the Paradise City thing, and I've
seen the band. I've seen Velvet Revolver, which is my
all time favorite show. By the way, was Velvet Revolver?

Speaker 2 (14:14):
You put it on a great I was lucky to
see them twice in Jersey West Palm Beach and they
still won the Best Shows I've ever seen.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
I say it, and people don't believe me. I'm like, guys,
I've been to like all the major bands from Maiden,
Metallica blah blah bla blah blah with the crazy although
the crazy straight stage production, the Pyros, the whatever whatever
it is. Maybe Kiss is the only major band that
I love that I've never gotten to see with a
wild stage production. But Velve Revolver was just straight up music,

(14:45):
some decent like show light work, but like it was
just kick ass music. And it was right after Scott
WiLAN relapsed and he had that rehab coach on tour
withh him. I think they broke up like a month
later or a couple of weeks or a couple of
shows later. And that's the weirdest part that he was incredible.

(15:07):
Man Like, it hit me. I got chills watching Scott
Wiland because he had like I think it was it's
either she both quick machines or for a brother. You know,
there's like that long break where he does all that stuff,
and it was like, dude, it was like it was

(15:31):
so ethereal spiritual. It was crazy, man Like, I never
it hit me. And Muse played right after them, and
you know, mus have like the crazy stage production, and
it just it didn't hit the same. It's the weirdest thing.
I think it's just that raw energy that Velvet Revolver had.
It was the greatest show I've ever seen in life,

(15:51):
and till to the state, I think I've only seen
one or two other shows at like smaller club shows
in Hollywood that I was like, whoa, Like, this is incredible.
But that was the show that really met a lot
to you. But anyway, so I went on a crazy tien.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
For me, Scott Scott was special. I mean everything said.
I feel the same way at the times I saw them.
I mean, I'm thankful that I did because I never
saw stp and just to see him in his elements.
I didn't see them on the Libertad tour. This was
the Contraband tour. I think I did see one in

(16:28):
early Liberted either way, But but yeah, no, I agree
with you.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
Man.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
Still tied for like best shows with Axel DC, which
was oh my god, oh yeah in two thousand and
two Buckethead GNR because you thought, which did happen? Would
you ever see Axel Rose again? And the Riot Bhilly
Riot happened the next day so you wouldn't see him
for a while, And then the twenty sixteen seeing Axel

(16:54):
and Slash on stage for the first time ever, Like,
I was teared up. I mean it's so yeah. Man,
I'm just a fan too. Who's talking about GNR? Who's
lucky to talk to rock stars and stuff like that.
So it's nice to hear when you're just a fan
and you get this opportunity, and you had an opportunity
and you took it so seriously. You made it happen.

(17:16):
You like there was no doubt that it was going
to happen. I know, I understand your bandmates, Like, how
was that? How would that happen? You know, open for
guns and roses? You're crazy, but I'm sure you probably
felt you were crazy too, but you made it happen.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
No, I'll tell you what, man. People people think I'm crazy,
but like I've like my approach in music.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Sorry, I see a cat in the background. I'm distracted.
Which one is that?

Speaker 3 (17:43):
Oh that's my dog cheech.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Oh Okay, I thought it was like a really fluffy
taiale for a cat.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
Dude, Okay, that's my dog Cheach. He's way too short.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
I've got it like kind of left him okay, Oh
he's a cutie, he's okay, leave him alone. Sorry, sorry,
oh blue car, So continue.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
No, I love I've got like a dog and forecats
and beautiful. I'm an animals guy, so I don't know
what's going on with them, though. I think I stole
his spot and he's just not happy about that. Here
you go here, here's your spot. I got all the
guns n Roses memorabilia here spot, and it's all his spot,

(18:29):
and I don't think he's happy about that. And actually
I wanted to show you this. When I put this out,
I was like, so this is when I saw guns
n' Roses.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
And then to go from that to that to the
all access support and I will say it. You said, obviously, Bahrain,
I say it. I was like, I almost going to
say Bahrain, which I guess sound like Moraine. I guess
sound like a Midwestern housewife, like in the Applebee's or something.

(18:57):
I met this fella from Bahrain.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
I don't know now, but you're good. You could you could,
you could say that. I'm sure. I'm sure that's better
than you know, like I've heard before.

Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yeah, i'd rather say it in my shitty, genuine way
than try to you understand it's all in love.

Speaker 3 (19:18):
I barely English, You're forgiven man an easy language. But
but yeah, man, it's just it's beyond surreal. Like the
whole experience was crazy.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
So tell me what the experience like. What is it
like opening for them? You know, it's it's hard to
put into words the I don't way. I was almost
said like the Arab thing, which is what a way
to phrase it, but you know you know what I mean. Uh,
but to open for gn R?

Speaker 3 (19:47):
What was that?

Speaker 2 (19:48):
Take us through what that day is like? Do you
get to meet any of them or any of their
crew or I know you took some on your Instagram,
You on the stage with the setup, so like kind
of just take us what it's like to be a
band opening up for Guns and Roses.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
So so like two close friends of mine have opened
have opened for Guns n' Roses on post reunion and
one one of my friends, I think he's opened for
them twice and he's opened for them. He opened for
them once in the Emirates and once in India. His

(20:24):
band's Indian.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
They're there.

Speaker 3 (20:25):
It's Garrison. The Chronicles Killer Band. They're on America's Got
Talent and uh, as far as I know, I was like, hey, man,
like did you get to meet the Then he's like, yeah, man, nothing,
they won't even meet us. They won't even look at us.
He's like, but they waved at them from side stage,
but that was it. And he sent me the video
because he opened for them two days before we did

(20:48):
on this on on the Asian leg of the tour,
and so he sent me a video saying, dude, guns
are sound checking and they've got your backdrop on, like
it keeps coming on during their soundcheck, and one of
the crew members sent us the same thing. One of
the guys working as part of the organizer's crew. He's like, yeah, man,

(21:09):
they keep putting winter Burns backdrop on, which we found
super weird. But like I was like, that is pretty weird.
But maybe they were testing out the resolution or whatever. Anyway,
so he's like, yeah, we didn't get to meet the band,
and I don't think they meet with support bands and stuff.
I'm like, okay, look, I told the guys right before
the show. I'm like, look, don't get your hopes up

(21:30):
about meeting the band. Okay, I've met this band. I
met them when they were a Velvet Revolver backstage. Now
I met them because I had a backstage pass. Didn't
go too well. It was very traumatizing experience, which I'll
get too, okay, And I was like so, and I
was like, Slash flew in with his band years ago

(21:52):
and I was meant to meet them as well. I
call it the curse that I have with Slash, and
it always breaks my heart, okay, because every time I
meant to meet Slash, it goes down. So there was
develop a Revolver one. I did get to meet him,
shook his hand. And why it was traumatizing was they
were all super like. They were not in the mood

(22:12):
to meet anyone backstage. They were in a ship mood man.
And I know now, looking in hindsight, I'm like, yeah,
it was probably Scott Wiland's whole thing because certain things happened.
So someone gave him a promo shot to sign the
band and the Dave Kushner and I think it was
Matt started drawing like funny shit all over Scott Wiland.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
Oh my god.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
Yeah, I don't know if I should say this. They're
gonna hate me for things. But I saw that and
I was like, oh shit, things must be bad in
their camp and and and duff like I reached out
shake his hand and he kind of looked to me weird,
like why is this dude chicked?

Speaker 2 (22:50):
You know?

Speaker 3 (22:51):
And then he did shake my hand, but it was
it was just kind of weird.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
Man.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
The vibes were just off. And then when it came time,
I said hi to Lash, he was super nice, sat
next to him. I asked the guy to take a picture.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
He's like, oh dude, my camera won't work. My camera
won't work.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
And that guy is a notorious prick because two days
later he uploads a picture that I took of him
with Slash. Same meet some guys, alright. I was like,
the fucker herewined, he sabotaged my moment. And anyways, that
was years ago. So now we're opening for them. I'm like,

(23:26):
you know what I told my bandmates, I'm like, guys
who cares? Man, Like, it's it's it's cool if we
get to meet them. There are heroes and everything. But
if we don't get to meet them, we're fucking opening
for them.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
Man.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
That's that's sick as it is that's crazy, Like no
one believes it. Like we had so many friends of
ours Texas like, yo, what the fuck you gotta be kidding,
Like I have friends in LA. All my LA friends
were posting about it because they're like, holy shit, we
remember this dude flying out all the way here just
to go out to see them. And also is like

(23:56):
a major slash is a huge influence on me. He's
one of my like all have favorite guitarists, and obviously
I love the band, you know, so it's kind of
crazy to them. And I'm an unapologetic Guns and Roses fan.
There's like a lot of fans of these bands where
like uh, you know, to snobby, you know, like these
musical snobs who look down at these bands. And I'm like,
I don't give a shit what anybody thinks. I love

(24:18):
Guns and Roses. Man, They're one of my favorite bands,
if not my favorite band. I don't care what anyone thanks.
But so it was a trip. And so anyways, we
get to the show and to the venue. We go
into our green room, we start setting up and then
they're like, okay, guys, you got sound check of four
thirty and you hit the stage. You get forty five minutes,

(24:38):
which is pretty rad, you know, like forty five minutes set. Yeah,
I was like that, man, the Guns guys are super generous.
Five minutes. It is not bad. We can sneak in up.
We can pack in a lot of you know, killer songs.
We even had a new single which we debuted at
that show. Cool and that show sort of fell in

(24:59):
with a little tour that we did of behind. So
we did a mini tour and that was show number four,
and so that the closing one, which was like, you know,
the big show, and so we go backstage, we do
our thing. Soundcheck was a complete fucking shit show. It
was a disaster. But it wasn't like Guns guys were

(25:25):
responsible for that, so I'm not putting this on them
or their crew. I think there was something went wrong
prior to us getting there because it was just like Pandemonium.
My amp was the wrong amp that it wasn't the
app that I requested. So I had a specific we
have our own backline request and I'm like, I need
this app, I need this blah blah blah blah blah blah.

(25:47):
And I look at that as part of my technical
writer and I'm like what the fuck. I'm like, that's
not even the app that I use. I don't even
know how to like configure this thing. And then no
one knows how to start the app, and then we're
on a wrong channel, and I'm like, guys, we're going
to be playing in less than an hour, and it's
all the sound checks already screwed, like it's already been delayed.

(26:09):
Forgive me sorry, guns is soundcheck I think was a
four thirty hours was an hour later and anyways, so
so it was just like pandemonium. Everything happened super quick.
Then they opened the gates and let some of the
people in, so the the what you call the snake
pit ticket holders I guess they call snake pit or
Golden Circle. They start walking in and I recognize one

(26:33):
of them as being a frequent per photographer, frequent traveler
who tours with Guns n' Roses. I'm like, shit, they're
watching us do our set. They're watching a sound check.
But I'm like, fuck, you guys just played, you know, like,
we got to get this down. So I look at
the guys and I'm like, look, guys, I don't know
what's going to happen when we get on stage, but

(26:55):
just stick to the click, stick to the time, and
you know, we have our tips on how do we
get back into a song and you know, like if
anyone slips or whatever. So we were cool. I went
did a quick workout, then changed. Next thing, I know,
I'm like talking to the guys and I look and
I see Duf mccagan and Del James, and my brain

(27:18):
is sort of like, in yo, what the fuck.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
These are real people? Because I got to imagine at
that point, like these are real people.

Speaker 3 (27:29):
Oh yeah, I mean it's and I'm like and I'm
and you're kind of but I was starstruck for about
like a good couple of seconds, maybe ten seconds. But
then I was like, yo, just just be normal. Don't
be one of those. Don't be one of them. I mean,
I'm not young anymore, dude, I've been in this for
a while. Like I've got tons of friends in the

(27:49):
music industry, like all over the world, and it's you
know how it is, right, like, just don't be a
weird of like, just be normal. And we start talking.
We like kind of bro hugged and then we start
talking and shooting the shit and it's kind of funny.
I was thinking this to a friend of mine the
other day. I said, every time I meet someone super famous,
you would expect that because I'm his fan and I've

(28:10):
owned I own shitloads of their records, and I grew
up reading the trivia back in the day when we
had like you know, shit internet, like everything was super
slow and it was forms and stuff. I'm like, you
would think that I would ask him all these detailed
questions right about the band, But that doesn't happen. Like
usually when you meet people like that, when you're genuine

(28:31):
with them and they can sort of see through the
bullshit and the facade and whatever. When you're just yourself, man,
like you start talking about the most random things, Like so,
Duff and I are both into ancient civilization's history and like,
you know, traveling and exploring historical stuff. That's what we
were talking about. I was like, oh, dude, you're here,
You're like in the perfect place. But dude, there's a

(28:53):
dill Moon civilization. We've got like thousands of years of
history here in archaeology, and blah blah blahlah. We started
hitting you know, like we hit it off, man, and
we were just talking about random stuff. And then I
told him, Hey, by the way, I just wanted to
tell you I actually met you years ago. He's like, oh,
wre because I remember we've played in the Middle East before.
I was like, yeah, it was Velvet Revolvers showing Dubai

(29:16):
and he was like, okay, it kind of like he
kind of he kind of went like, oh yeah, because
I didn't get rung a bell with him that that's
when things were falling apart, right because they broke up
literally like a few shows after and then uh and
then I said yeah, and I kind of rubbed ripped
you guys off the wrong way. I mean, that's not

(29:36):
the best way to phrase that, but anyways, but he
was like why. I was like, well, I walked in
backstage wearing it killed Nick. He laughed. I was like,
you know, because like the actual reference and like back then,
I kind of I know you did.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
Did you say that before I.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
Killed?

Speaker 2 (29:57):
That's not going to help your situation.

Speaker 3 (30:00):
I played a punk rock show the night before and
I was wearing a kilt, and then I went in
the next day like I fell asleep, woke up hungover,
went straight through the gun show in that kill and
that that gun's Velver revolver. So he kind of laughed
it off, and I was like, you know, I was
kind of traumatized by that whole experience, Like he kind
of I think he got it because he sort of

(30:20):
went like, yeah, that was not a very positive vibe backstage.
It wasn't It was a shit vibe, and I can understand.
But anyways, so he kind of gave us some cool
words and blah blah blah, and I was like, hey, Duff,
I know this is kind of weird to ask, but
can I take a picture and whatever?

Speaker 1 (30:36):
And then he's like, yeah, cool.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
So I called the band in, our manager came in,
we all took a picture together, and then we did
another bro hug. He was like, good luck, guys. We
hit the stage, and here's the funniest thing. Right before
the show, I kept telling my bandmates, hey, guys, make
sure you get me like aspirin because I tend to
get headaches from the heat. Like it's so hot out
here in the Middle East. It's fifty it's between forty

(31:00):
five to fifty degrees celsia sometimes a superhumid that's something
like one hundred and twenty degrees fahrenheit. Wow, because it's hot.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
We don't use that. I use Fahannheit here in America.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
Your metric system. But anyways, yeah, by the way, the
irony of this whole thing is I think like even
England uses miles like they use stone, these weird ass
like units of measurement, which I'm like, that's not even like,
that's not even what you guys impose the kilograms on
us and use stones over It just makes no sense.

Speaker 2 (31:38):
It's all arbitrary anyway, you know, when you boil it down.
But yeah, that's funny.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
But it was. It gets hot, so I said to
the guys, give me some aspirin, and then because I
know I'm gonna get it, and I didn't get the aspirin.
And what happened was, right after Duff walked away, I
had my manager come over and he said, you guys
are on in like five minutes, so just get your
shit together.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
Get ready.

Speaker 3 (32:00):
All right, Okay, we're getting their stuff together. My guitars
are tuned, they're set up, all of that, and I
get like this raging headache, like and I'm like, fuck,
I have no aspirin. And then something else happens. Now
I have MS and something that us with MS. Multiple
skilled Eurosis patients experience is if it gets too hot,

(32:25):
you get something called or your body temperature gets really high.
It's called pseudo symptoms. So you feel like certain symptoms
of MS started kicking, Like my leg goes numb, my
hands tend to go numb. So this part in my hand,
which is where I pick from a hybrid pick because
I use my metal finger as well and taping whatever,
just went super numb. And I'm like, fuck, how's this happening?

(32:48):
And I'm already stressed because I have to sing as well, right,
and I'm like, I don't want to choke in front
of Gun of the Roses because actual Rose, right, he's
one of my favorite vocalists growing up as a kid.
So and he's actual Rose, and I sing, I do
the same thing. I have loud screams. I have some
high screams and some songs, so I don't want to
blow my voice. And I'm like, holy shit, this is
just all the Aldar against me. But I always went

(33:09):
on there and I'm like, you know what, dude, fuck it,
you were born to be here, man, just crush this shit.
And we crushed the shit hard man, Like I noticed
quick like, Okay, I can't hear my guitar when I'm
standing in front of my monitors because someone fucked up
something with someone from the crew knocked one of my
monitors in a weird way, so I couldn't hear what

(33:31):
I was playing or singing. But I was like, but
if I stand in the middle of the stage over there,
I can hear everything crystal clear. So what I was
doing was I I played the verses and whatever, and
then I would dance or groove my way to the middle.
And people thought it was like part of the show,
but it wasn't. I was just like I was just
trying to hear myself. So my friends now who we
were talking. I was talking to a friend of mine

(33:53):
the other day. He's like, oh, I saw you doing
like all these cool moves and stuff, and you would
groove to the middle of the stage and you know,
whenever he had leads coming up, I was like, dude,
I couldn't hear shit. And that's why I would go
there because I'm like, the soul is about to come up,
and this is a dangerous spot in the song. I
can't fuck this up because we're a three piece and
you can hear every single note, every riff, every lick,
you know, even like scratch notes. But we played and obviously,

(34:18):
in the back of my head a couple of times,
I thought, you know, gn R guys might be backstage
listening to this. It's loud, dude, it's an arena. So
it's this is you can hear this in the parking lots.
I'm like, so do your best, man, But I didn't
think about that much. It was more about, like, we
got to nail this song. We're gonna do this. I

(34:38):
hope the lights are good. I can't I can't tell
what's going on on stage. I'm just looking at people's faces,
look at it their eyes. And then it was done.
We get off stage and as I'm walking off, one
of Guns and Roses crew comes up to Me's like,
kick out show guys, my yeah whatever, Hey thanks. I
didn't say yeah whatever. I know I know that, but

(35:03):
as he was walking away, I was like, yeah, sure,
we fucked that up, and I was like disappointed. I'm like,
I know we fucked that up. My manager comes up
to me and he's like, you guys fucking killed it.
He's like and Duff came out and watched you for
like ten minutes. He's like, I couldn't believe it. He's like,
cause I was kind of he was my manager standing
backstage to the left side of the stage. He's like,

(35:24):
and I see Duff there and I'm like, yo, like
that's kind of a trip. Like He's like he doesn't
even know how to react. He's like, and he was
digging it. I'm like, so in my head, I'm like, whatever, okay.
But then the arena people start coming up to us
and they're like, you guys fucking killed it. And then
people are like you guys crushed.

Speaker 1 (35:41):
Some guys coming up to me like hey, can I
take a picture?

Speaker 3 (35:43):
And I'm like, yo, this is a trip, man, Like
were we really that good? Anyways? So then that was it,
and then guns come on and everyone wants to go
get drunk or whatever, and I'm like, no, guys, I
really want to watch them play. I seen him in
twenty sixteen, haven't seen him in like nine years. I
really would like to see They're They're my favorite band,

(36:05):
and I want to see I want to see I
want to see Isaac Carpenter because I'm I'm I'm a
Steven Adler fan. I know that's a controversial thing. I
love Matt Swarm, but he had that, you know, this
swing right, like there was some kind of weird power
and groove that Steven had. I love Matt Swarm too,
but it was like something raw and swingy about Steven.

(36:28):
And so they got Isaac Carpenter in the band and
I'm like, I really need to see what how this
guy plays, and he was fucking insane. The band sounds
way different, bro, Like, I've seen Guns for almost three
hours in San Diego in the first Reunited and it
doesn't sound like the old Guns. The only thing that's
noticeable that's that's different is obviously Axel's voice. He's aged,

(36:50):
he's been through a lot. I think the ac DC
tour really affected his voice because he was insane on
that tour. He was and he was scream and hitting
notes like he was singing raw and raspy as hell,
and I think that took a little bit of a
toll on his voice. But still a killer showman. He

(37:12):
looks good. I understand like people have their opinions about
his singing, but I still he sings everything, and he
sings the notes correct. He's in key, which is it
is what it is. Man, he's in his mid I
guess he's in his mid sixties.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
Sixty three, sixty three.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
There you go.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
So like, I'm like, I'm I'm I'm you know, I'm
a very I'm very easy going about these things because
I can. I'm a singer. I know what it's like.
But they were it was a show, bro like, it
was a killer show. I loved it. I was like
dancing rocking out to night train. There were a bunch
of like, there was this whole it was like a

(37:51):
tailgate party of these American guys throwing beer all over
behind me. They were going wild. They were doing beer
pong in the audience, and uh, it was. It was
a trip though, Like but yeah, so then anyways, guns
shows over. We had a ball and then my manager
called me. He's like, come down, we might get to
meet Slasher Axles. They're coming out now. I was told

(38:12):
at one point when we were done, not so you
got to get away from the backstage air because access coming.
He doesn't want anyone here. I was like, what, okay,
no one. Yeah, Like they were like get the fuck
out of here and get into your car. Even the
crew they told members of the crew fuck off, okay.
I'm like, okay, okay, okay, because what happened is my

(38:32):
bandmate dropped his his his laminate and I was like,
can we look for it? It fell off backstage and
they were like no, Acxle says leave. Okay, So all
of you fuck off right now. I'm like, okay, okay.
We went to our cars, and then we had a
secret way to get in to watch the gig. They

(38:53):
gave us tickets and you know, our passes or whatever
and so. But anyways, later in the night, I get
call saying, hey, come backstage. We might be able to
meet the band. But we didn't meet the band because
they took the other access way, which goes under the
arena into the suites. And so I was like, oh whatever.
As we're heading back to our parking lot, our parking

(39:15):
lots right over here, there's this right over here, and
I'm like, yo, that looks like the guns cars, you know,
because each one of those guys have their own cars,
their own details, their own guys. I'm like, fuck it,
I'm gonna go up there and just mention you know
that I want to say hi to Slash because I'm
gonna shoot my shot man. This is my hero bro,
Like I'm not fucking letting it go, Like I've had

(39:35):
the curse happen to me twice before, which is the
Revolver on and then his solo show, I'm like, I'm
gonna make it happen today.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
At this point, he made the actual show happen.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Why not? And we played and we we opened for
them and we killed overcame.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
You know, odd lot aches and you know numbness, So
why not?

Speaker 3 (39:55):
And then there's a backstory to us playing for guns,
which a lot of people don't know about me. I
had a death in my family literally days before, and
I could not grieve, which was the hardest thing. And
I think my family, like my mom and my brother

(40:16):
and a number of my family members could see that
they know that it wasn't easy on me because I
had spent time with my aunt had passed away from cancer.
So I was sorry, no, it's cool, thank you. And
I'd spent a lot of time with my aunt. Cancer
is a big thing, like because she's not the first
person I lose to cancer, and so I didn't even

(40:40):
have a chance to grieve. So there was a lot
and then there was another backstory to that where I
was stuck in a country and I couldn't enter Sudi
because of some screw up with my paperwork and I
had to fly to Bedane and then like just the
rehearsals and cut a long story short, there were a
lot of fucking aunts, and I was like, is this
show going to happen? Because we had been confirmed, We're

(41:00):
about to announce, and I'm like, is this going to
really happen? Because now I'll have to figure out a
way to make this happen. But anyways, it happened. So
anyways we get I'm like, fuck it, I'm going to
speak to security detail. I'm going to tell him listen,
I want to meet Slash. And I know someone who
is a personal friend of Slash who probably did text him.

(41:20):
He mentioned to me, he's like, I'm gonna text him
and tell him that you're opening the show because he's
really type with Slash and I don't want to name drop,
but it's something associated with my music endorsements and all that.
So I was like, cool, I didn't I should have
mentioned this when I spoke to his head of security,
but I didn't because I just it was such an

(41:42):
awkward situation. The guy was not nice, dude. He's like, no,
you're not going to meet him. He's like, Nope, it's.

Speaker 1 (41:48):
Not going to happen.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
I'm like, listen, dude, you can understand not just as
a fan, as a musician, as you know, some his
peer in the music industry. I guess now, you know,
as someone who's been doing this for so long, Like
this is a big deal for me. Why don't you
just ask him?

Speaker 1 (42:05):
You know?

Speaker 3 (42:06):
He's like, we don't. They don't meet opening bands. He's like,
you should be. You're lucky that I was nice enough
to give you guys tickets to the show.

Speaker 2 (42:14):
He's outliers man like people with a little bit of power,
just like these people with small dicks.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
Just whatever. And that was the weird fucking statement because
when he said that, I was thinking, but weird. We've
got support band, lemonades, we have access all areas whatever.
We didn't need the tickets, bro, Like security didn't even
ask us for tickets. Yeah, it was nice that you
gave us a little you know, it was cool, But
I mean, don't don't don't rub that in my face,

(42:41):
like that's not nice. Like as an error by the
way and I don't know, but in our culture, you
don't say shit like that.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
It's disrespectful as a human being. Regardless of culture. That
guy but in a.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
Totally but in our culture, that's like, oh you did
me a favor. Oh okay, oh no, that happened. And
then I looked at my bandmates. I'm like, you know, guys,
fuck it, let's not let's not look like we're begging here.
If this guy is being a dick, he was not nice.
It's like, let's just walk away. So we're walking away
and I see Duff coming out with his guys and

(43:15):
I just shout out, like.

Speaker 1 (43:17):
Have a safe trip, Duff, and he's like, oh dude, dude,
pull up, pull up.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
And he calls me over and that douchebag that turned
me away was kind of standing at the door, and
Duff was coming out to his car and he was like,
I swear to God verbatim as well. He's like, he's like, dude,
your guitar playing is so fucking sleezy. He's like, I
love that. He loved the show. He's like, I love
the band. Your rhythm section were killer, and he was

(43:45):
like and then he kept going.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
He kept looking at me.

Speaker 4 (43:46):
He's like, your guitar playing is so sleezy, man, And
I was like, fuck yeah, bro, that's.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
Like the ultimate compliment. Dude, Duff McKagan's telling them a
guitar playing is sleezy. That's crazy.

Speaker 2 (43:55):
That's the name of your book. It's so sleezy.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
That's a good one. And and and then he was
like then he said something which was really cool. He
was like, you know, I was really he said, I
was really bruising for you guys, because after we chatted backstage,
He's like, I just really wanted you guys to be good.
And he's like, and that was killer.

Speaker 1 (44:17):
He said that.

Speaker 3 (44:18):
And then my manager standing there and my batmanes are
standing there, and I think to them, this is so
fucking surreal. Like, yo, man, Duff mccagan just gave you
a seal of approval. That's all you need to know.
And someone mentioned that yes, Slash was backstage when you
guys were playing, but in his zone, so he you know,
so I was like whatever, you know, like I got

(44:39):
my my my, Like, dude, a lot of trauma was
healed that and then it was like the icing on
the cake was that when Duff said that, give him
another hug, bro, hug, have a safe trip. Man, You're
gonna love Saldi. I know you're all there for long
whatever and then we.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Left and yah, icing on the cake though, wasn't to
do it in front of the douchebang, like when you're
talking to Duffy and like, go to that guy and
give him the finger, you know, give him the d
X shop. I don't know if you're a wrestling guy,
but just like fuck, you know, need to do any
of that.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
I used to be as a kid. I was a
d X guy. But no, yeah, like like no, because
at that moment he was insignificant.

Speaker 1 (45:20):
Man.

Speaker 3 (45:20):
At that moment, it was this beautiful link with your hero.
It's like just a funk about that dude.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
In my culture, the Queen's New York culture, we want benches.
We want you to suffer.

Speaker 3 (45:35):
That's me too, Like I do believe in that.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
And you did it the right way obviously. I mean
that's a beautiful moment. And uh, there's there's so many
things to unpack because duff probably felt bad and when
you brought him back to that time, like yeah, what
a bad time. And I can understand why his experience
was bad, and it's no fault to any of them.
Everybody has a bad day, you know, and that we
can only even try to imagine what they were going

(46:01):
through at that time, you know, millions of dollars at
the table, and like they're trying another lead singer. They're
having an issue with this time with drugs. So I mean,
it's it's very It's very cool that Duff was out there,
like I hoping you were good. He wanted to be
like see you again, be like, yeah, dude, he was great.
But so the fact that that happened was special, and

(46:23):
I can totally see you. I mean, this isn't won't
be the last time. You know, as you said, you've
had friends that open for them multiple times. You will
get your moment with the with Slash. I could see that, Uh.
I could see that happening, and I'd be like you too,
where you're like when you meet somebody and you're a
fan and you go back to the dial up internet
days or whatever, and you can ask him all these questions.

(46:44):
I often think like if I ever had an opportunity
to interview Slash or any of them, I'd be like,
like the Chris Farley Show, Hey, do you remember when
you know, like again, I love you and I figure
some something stupid. Since I don't have a hair, I
just pull on my beard and listen, get that askew.
I always look. I do remember the one time I

(47:07):
did meet Duff. This was at a Revolver show backstage,
and everybody was lining up to get autographs because he
was in the middle of a place in Jersey where
there was like, really, it's funny in Jersey where there's
nothing around, but that this place in Jersey seemed like
Saudi Arabia because he was surrounded by nothing. So they
were able to go behind the Starland Ballroom. For those

(47:30):
who know, they were just oh yeah, so just walking
behind and they were openly signing autographs and no problem
and anything. I had my guns and Roses shirt, which
actually I still have here, which is shame on me
because it's I used to have it framed but now
it's not.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
I wore this and the exact same shirt.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
If you could see it, there's a right there as
a slash autograph and there's a Duff and they're both faded.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
You know.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
I haven't worn it since I actually bought this off eBay,
like back then, so it might be like an actual shirt,
like an actual real shirt, not like a hot topic yeah,
because I do have hot topic esque shirts and that's
not one of them anyway. So I had my shirt signed, Hey,
I need to admit that. I tried to correct Duff
of which skull to sign. I was like, no, it's

(48:24):
this one, and I'm pointing to Stephen Adler. He's like, no, dude,
it's this one. I'm a fucking idiot, but not much
is this idiot. The next person's like he didn't have anything,
so he puts out his hand. I may have told
this story back in the day, I haven't told it
in a while. So he's like, what would I do
with that? So I was waiting in line. I said,
you don't want to know, and everyone started laughing. Duff

(48:45):
started laughing. That's like my moment. I still get. I'm
good with those like quick little jokes, but when I
actually like talked to Daff, I'm like, oh, it's this skull,
Like he doesn't know. I say something stupid and I
wish I could. I wish I can credit it my
which will tie everything together. And I told you this
conversation will go a little bit longer, more than just
guns for a reason. It's not because of my disability.

(49:09):
So I have something that's comparable to MS. It's called
demoelinating peripheral neuropathy. It's basically the uh, the nerve version
of what you have. So over time, it's because it's
the communication between the brain and the muscles just don't work.
There's something missing in the nerves, so that affects weakness

(49:31):
and affects the muscles. So that's why I get tattoos
to cover up my lack of muscles and everything I
wear also a more show and tell. I wear leg
braces when I go out. See my my guns and roses.
See all of my stickers. I made it like a
dorm room.

Speaker 3 (49:50):
Mostly plectic like rock music taste ever from Olympiscuit to
like Blur.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
Well another now you can judge because the reason why
I have these stickers on there because I've gone through
a few pairs of leg braces, because believe it or not,
they actually do break and there's wear and tear. I
initially one time, this is when I first was doing
radio up in Cape cod and I had to get
a bunch of different jobs to something at myself. So

(50:17):
I worked at a motorcycle apparel place. I don't ride.
I can't ride, but whatever, I'm a biker at hard,
I guess. So they had a bunch of stickers, bike stickers,
so I would put those motorcycle bike stickers on my
leg braces that would say like zero to sixty, you know,
like really you know speed or you know, or a
break for you know, very ironic thing iron So those

(50:40):
those broke and I wanted to get stickers, not just
a couple of like guns of roses stickers. So I
literally just googled, you know, an Amazon rocket roll stickers.
So that's why this limp biscuit on there is blur.
I was like, yeah, thank you. I just needed to
find something that had guns and roses and velvet revolver
and motorhead and some things. So those are all of

(51:01):
my leg braces. So uh uh yeah, when I'm.

Speaker 3 (51:04):
Going sorry to cut you off, I was sorry to
hear that you've got that condition, and you know, like
I really respect that you're able to do all of
this despite you.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Know, vice versa. I mean, I'm lucky. What I'm able
to do. Isn't that physical? It certainly helped hurt me
where you know, get other jobs, like with submentary jobs,
I can only do certain things. I can't go out
and you know, do manual labor. You know, I say
it's a good it's a good excuse to when I'm lazy,

(51:37):
But I can't do manual labor, like when actually what
I did work in Cape Cod. It's funny. I I
a lot of the jobs that were available were like
cleaning boats and and you know, even just working at
a hotel carrying luggage. I can't do. I really, I
can't do that. So it's always been interesting finding work.
And I'm lucky now that I get to do this

(51:58):
from home because even just travel to the city with
leg braces, adding a cane and then now and I've
talked about it, and I'll talk about it as I
keep going to concerts. I go in a wheelchair. It's
just so much easier, uh you know. I again, I
can't when I walk around my apartment just almost like parkour,
just holding walls. I do have a walker if I need.

(52:21):
I'm supposed having killed myself with all the toys from
my son everywhere, but I have to look down like
everything's a landmine. I have to, but with shows, it's
just it's too much to do it now. So when
I go to weird Al, but by the time I
put this out, it may have gone to weird Al
Madison Square Garden. First time seeing weird Al. He's one
of my favorites too.

Speaker 3 (52:41):
I grew up with them in the nineties. Can you
believe that Arab like like some Arab kid in Doha,
which is like in the middle of nowhere. And I
remember the first thing I heard for weird Al was
remember that record he did, which is like the parody
of Michael Jackson Bad the Bad Album even when it's
even worse, even worse, and there is eat It and

(53:04):
that was another one that's weird Al. It's like old
school dude, that's like very nineties. I is he actually
playing Medicine Square Garden?

Speaker 2 (53:14):
Yeah, dude, he is headlining. He's he's headlining. Who's gonna open?
Who's weird Al going to open for weird Now? There
are nerds like me everywhere that just love him, and
he still makes music. This might be his final tour,
we'll see, but uh yeah, no, I'm excited. I'll talk
about that in my socials and me with the podcast
you know later on.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
But it's pretty rad.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
It is, but just to man because I I I
do bring up my disability when it I wouldn't not
going to cram it into a conversation about it's not
so easy for me to walk, you know, I'm not
going to do that.

Speaker 4 (53:50):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
But when I've had like Rick Rick Allen, you know,
obviously a very different, uh disability like that my biggest
nightmare I can only imagine I had.

Speaker 3 (54:02):
I had a year where I was just I was
working in the oil and gas industry. I'm so sorry
to cut you off, and it's just cause you mentioned
Rick Allen, and I kept having this overwhelming fear that
I'm gonna lose like a limb because I'm a huge
Rick I'm a big deaf Leopard fan, and I'm like, oh,
I'm an oil and gas and like it's like I'm

(54:22):
sure I'm gonna go like on an oil ray against
some shit's gonna go wrong. I'm gonna lose an arm,
you know. Like for a year, it was every day, Man,
it was very overwhelming.

Speaker 2 (54:31):
I don't know why that's that that could be very stressful.
Now I'm glad you survived that to be able to
do this band. And but I understand what you talk
about with the numbness, you know, And it's funny now
I've noticed as it's gotten hot here everywhere, you know,
ninety degrees fahrenheit here today in New York City, if
I don't because there are times I'm just working away.

(54:53):
I have other jobs in addition to the podcasts and stuff,
and I'm bad. I'm like my dad. I'll forget to
eat and I'm like my am, I overwhelmed with heat,
and I'm getting my hands and numb, my foots a
little numb, Like what's going on here? I have to
take a second eat and just drink. And I'm like,
what am I doing this? Because I used to be
able to just work and not eat. I'm it's like
my saying habits. But as I'm getting older and has

(55:15):
my disability because it's demielinating, it does get worse. Yeah,
it does progress. That's probably the best, uh, the proper
way to put it. So I respect that and to
be able to go out. I don't know how many
musicians are. I know there are musicians and actors and
actresses who suffer from MS. But everything you said what

(55:38):
you dealt with to do guns and roses show and
the numbness and I get headaches too, man, Like that sucks.
That sucks. As soon as I get a little headache. Look,
this is just regular, like Tom and all. I have
to take it right away because it's not going to
go away. It's just not going to get it's going
to get worse, and it's debilitating, and I I can

(56:00):
just can I do a conversation like that, sure, But
to play and the sun and just to kill it,
I don't know, maybe you should always get a headache
or something if you had that great of a show.

Speaker 3 (56:11):
I think when the adrenalin kicked in, I was like,
you know what, dude. I think I noticed it once
between two songs. I think it was between the second
and third song. I think I was just like, fuck,
my head feels like shit, but you know what, fuck
it now. And then I went back to like my
stage cues, like okay, here this is where we do this,
this is where we do that. It's just it's crazy, man,

(56:35):
Like your determination, I guess when when it kicks in
is just like you know, you're just like it sort
of trumps all of that you know, and you overcome
all of that. Like the minute that that show kicked
in and I knew where I was at, I was like, look, man,
fuck it, you know, just just rip, do your best,

(56:55):
make it look good. And I actually recorded winter Burn's
first LP. Well we're doing the second LP now. First LP,
I had had an MS relapse or an attack, and
it feels like a stroke, like I lost all the
strength in my arm and I could BIRDI hold my
pick while I was making the album, so you know,

(57:16):
like I had to sort of pick up the tracking
of the record because I remember going back into the
studio and I looked at my producer and I said,
I'm fucking struggling to play here, man, Like it's not,
it's not. I need a couple of weeks. So I
went home for a couple of weeks and just practiced
playing without any you know, the lost sensation. And so

(57:38):
I sort of found a way to sort of adapt
to that, you know, and I guess you just have
to keep going. My whole life has been like that,
you know, Like I was almost homeless a year ago,
which a lot of people don't know, Like I went
through hell, you know, And I said that on stage
right before the song that I think prompted Duff to

(57:59):
say that I'm a sleezy guitar player, because the guitar
playing is pretty sleek. It's very Randy Rhodes influence, and
I do a little speecher or whatever. I say something
right before we kick into that song, because that song's
all about like fuck it, it's about determination and resilience
and all that shit. And I said something like, who

(58:20):
would have thought I was almost almost last year and
here I am opening for Guns and fucking Roses. If
you I know, there's a bunch of musicians and people
are dreamers in here. Don't give up, you know, or
some shit Like some sounds kind of corny now, but
in the moment it sound a killer. Because I saw
a guy that I'd seen at a maiden gig in
two thousand and seven when I was a young new musician,
and he was like, dude, you know, like and now

(58:43):
he's a major promoter and I'm opening for Guns and Roses.
It's kind of and he was like right front row,
and so it was a trip and but yeah, that's it, man,
Like you just got to like push through till you can't.
You know that's my sort of I mean, what happened
with Aussie the other day, you know it kind of

(59:04):
made me want to cry, you know, because I.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
Love I'll admit it now. We all cried. Admit it.
I said this him during my review and tears. I
had tears, and I couldn't believe how the lump in
my throat was because you weren't expecting to cry watching it.
You were expecting to almost maybe feel bad or feel sad.
But when his when he started, you know, talking about
before my mom coming home, and I'm like to my

(59:28):
wife because just they're panting to the fans, crying and
he's crying, and I'm like, they're crying, and I just
start crying telling her this, I was like, She's like what,
I'm like, everybody's crying, honey. So I had to compose
myself because you're right, I thought about because her, her
father and my father in law just passed from Parkinson's.

(59:48):
Thank you, and it's a it's a it's a battle,
and it's just like with you and my disability. It's
obviously it's it's there are differences, but there are a
lot of similarities, and they things hate you man, especially
when you're Ozzie's age and I know about you know,
I try not to think too much about you know
what I either do what I'm gonna be like when
I'm eating, just enjoying the now man, enjoying talking to

(01:00:11):
you and went opening for guns and roses and you know,
being being a handicapped parent with something that was very uh,
I wasn't sure. I'm still very unsure, you know about
a lot of I.

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
Totally respect that I know that I know, I know
about your son and actually kids. Right before this podcast,
I said to my wife, I said, I'm recording a
podcast with and I kind of give her background, like
his appetite for just distortion. They're from you know, it's
this guy Brando. He's from New York. He's in New York.
They don't take ship, so I hope Soon doesn't barge

(01:00:43):
in while I'm Soon's my son and he's like many me,
doesn't look like me. He's got like crazy. He actually
looks exactly like Slash did with Slash was a kid,
which is the craziest thing. And his middle name is
Saul Okay, perfect after Salt Hudson, which my dad was
not very happy, but that was very Arab, you know,

(01:01:05):
staunch Arab nationalist. He's like, what is this name. I'm like,
that's his.

Speaker 1 (01:01:12):
Middle name, the king of the Israelites.

Speaker 3 (01:01:15):
I'm like, yeah, Sault, but not that Saul, the other Salt.
He's like, what other Salt? And I said, up a
picture of Slash and he's like.

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
That's fucking junkie.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
You should have saidthing like saw good made or something.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
I'm like, Slash is not a junkie. He was a junkie.
He was super successful man. And no, but I named
my son after Slash and people laugh about it and
I'm like, no, I did because you know, I love
the name Salt. It's cool, you know, I thought it
would be cool, Saldan and Saul. He has those two names.
But yeah, he literally looks exactly Slash, same hair, frizzy
hair when Slash was a kid, and because my son's

(01:01:50):
mixed race, it's the same complexion and all of that.
And I was just worried that he'd run through any minute.
And I was like and then I remember, and I
was like, Okay, Brando has a son too, and I
think our sons are around the same age and they're
both into the music. They're they're getting a kick out
of the rock music thing. Because I've seen like something
you posted and I was like, yeah, I think he'd

(01:02:12):
be all right. He might be alright. No, it is
something like now when you mentioned your your illness, like
I have mad respect for you, you know, being a
parent doing it, you know, like being a loving parent
and a present parent, you know, because I have a
lot of experience with that despite all of you know,

(01:02:37):
the constraints. That's that's really cool.

Speaker 2 (01:02:39):
Man, thank you. I mean you just just do it,
as you were just saying, not the use a phrase
from Nike, but you just push forward. You there's no option,
you know, even from when he was little just figuring out, Okay,
I got to live on the floor today because I
can't really get up and down, you know, a situation
where I got to put him up on the couch
because they can't go up and down, or you know,

(01:03:00):
using the wheelchair when it's appropriate, and he's on my
lap when when I traveled through London and he's just
like chilling there and you know, we're we're quite a sight,
you know, me because and then and then him because
it's my wife's pushing us both around, so it'll be
it's it's a trip. But he's not running around today
because they're they're on vacation, uh pseudo vacation right now

(01:03:21):
because my wife dance teacher. They're having like a competition.
And this is just reminded me though, because you said,
is your son too, because my son's too? Is he
around the same?

Speaker 3 (01:03:30):
My son's my son's six now, Okay, So but I
know that I know that period, the two three or well,
the transition between two to five. Holy shit, it was intense, bro.

Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
I'll say this. And speaking of holy shit, because I
mean I told that, I said at the beginning we
were going to go along. It's because you're like opposite
the size of the world. But we could not have
more in common with a lot of things.

Speaker 3 (01:03:57):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
I tweeted this. I said, So, Harrison Rex aka Baby
Brownstone now laughs at farts, okay, like farts, and he
loves making the sounds, he loves saying the word. It's
It wasn't like on purpose. I was just one day
around him. He's just like I'm in the bathroom and
I you know, my fart and he's just like he

(01:04:19):
goes poop. I'm like no, no, far, and he's like
fuck so ever since then, So it's funny. My wife
texts me the first day that they're gone. They're they're
at their hotel, resort whatever. He's going around saying far
to everybody and making noises. I hate you lo o
l like this. This is all I ever wanted, you know,

(01:04:41):
so handicapped not My son loves farts so that we
all could do it now.

Speaker 3 (01:04:46):
My wife says the same thing. She's like, it's like,
I'll get a text. It's literally you. He's literally at you.
Like he looks a lot like my wife, but it's
the same behavior. I'm left handed, but I played right handed,
which is weird. Long story but basically sorry, long story

(01:05:07):
short is that I just didn't want to struggle as
a guitarist looking for left the instrument, so I just
taught myself how to play right handed. But he's left
handed but does everything right handed as well, like he
plays football soccer left footed. So but we have a
lot in common. He loves the same band. When he
was a baby, it was the weirdest thing, man like,
he would have meltdowns and then I'd played kisses. I

(01:05:29):
was made for loving you. And he would completely go
to sleep. It was the trippiest thing, and like everyone
was like, why that song love Sabbath Loves Kiss is
like huge for him? Van Halen, guns n' Roses. I'm
not allowed to get him into yet, which is funny

(01:05:51):
because I got into guns n' Roses when I was
not so much older than he was.

Speaker 2 (01:05:54):
What about select songs like he can hear? I don't know,
even Paradise a sweet y'all of mine can play for him?

Speaker 3 (01:06:00):
Now, sweet Child, he's allowed to listen to it, and
he actually likes that song because my wife's played it
for him.

Speaker 2 (01:06:06):
Okay, but he can't.

Speaker 3 (01:06:07):
Yeah, but I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:06:10):
I understand even like the slight things in a young age.
I understand even I was about to say Paradise City,
but even there are certain things in there that you
shouldn't you know. Yeah, Yeah, I totally get that. Yeah,
my son's not at that age. He's just I keep
saying it, fucking baby shark man. He's just all about
he's in the baby shark phase. For the first year
and a half of his life, it was just Blues

(01:06:30):
Clues on TV. For whatever reason, he gravitates towards that
and now he doesn't like it now it's just a
lot of you two for kids and baby shock. He
asked for it during my Angry Anderson interview. He just
came around the corner and he's like, baby shark. I'm like, okay,
I thankfully my wife was around to grab him. But
uh but yeah, well go ahead, but you have a solution, which.

Speaker 3 (01:06:52):
Is rockabye baby albums. Those are really good. So that's
how I slowly got him into like van. He knew
the mell of these Tavan Allen songs prior to actually
listening to Okay, we did play.

Speaker 2 (01:07:05):
Him mad as a baby, like those uh those lullaby versions. Yeah,
because I found My wife was happy that there's a
Dave Matthews one. And you know, we had fun guessing
the song, you know us, so we all we all
had fun to it when he was a baby. But yeah, no,
right now he just plays you know, toy drums, which
I still I still have on my desk.

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
That's pretty rad though. I should I should have gotten
that for my son as a kid. I didn't. I
got him those toy guitars. I will.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
I will get him those too. I have him one
of those. It's a long floor piano, like they haven't
big oh I know those? Yeah, no, my wife's I
mean we're both we're not neither of us are musically inclined,
but I mean she used to play piano. But we're
both music lovers, live music lovers. So I know you've
never said that you've never been to New York, but

(01:07:55):
I hope it happens man one of these days because
I want to see you live. But how can we
How can I keep up the date with everything? Everything?

Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
So we we I usually put everything, Uh it's all
on our instagram, our website. Our website is currently down.
It's just because we're prepping for the new campaign that's
going to happen for the new album. So I was
like it, so it's cool, Like it went down, and
I was like, you know, just leave it down for
the moment, till till we get the new dates and
all that stuff up. I'm like whatever, Like it's not

(01:08:29):
a priority because like right now, my thing is I
really just want to finish the new singles and the
new music and get that out there. But our instagram,
my instagram, my personal one is where I basically put
everything out, you know, So that's winter Burned at winter
burn Official or at nas Mysterio Hey, which is M E.

(01:08:51):
S T A R.

Speaker 1 (01:08:51):
I H.

Speaker 3 (01:08:52):
I Oh that was fast. You'll find it. I tag
myself all over the place. But so but yeah, and America,
I mean, the goal for us has always been to
tour the States man like for me at least, you know,
and I really do hope that eventually we will come

(01:09:12):
out to the States where or just I think for now,
the way it looks is we're most likely going to
be doing our region Europe or England, you know, because
those are like it's just a proximity and logistics thing.
But eventually, like I've we almost played in the West

(01:09:33):
Coast a few times. I go out there a lot,
but hopefully we will get something happening, because like that's
the ultimate goal for I don't know if it's for
most bands, but for us at least it is because
I love the States. My son's an American by the way,
he was born in Denver, and we've got family there
of extended family, and my best friends all live out there,

(01:09:54):
so you know, it's always been a goal for me
to play well. I actually almost I wanted to move
out there, but things kind of seem, you know, a
bit shaky. I'm not going to go into that life.

Speaker 2 (01:10:07):
Life happens, I get it.

Speaker 3 (01:10:09):
Yeah, So I just like asked to my wife, like,
let's give it like another five to ten years and
then when things unless I get a platinum record and
make a shitload of money, I'll move out there tomorrow.
But yeah, no, like, so that's where we do. Uh,
that's where I put all the updates. We've got a
ton of new music, man like I so in the

(01:10:31):
time that I took, uh, basically took a step back
from playing live from end of twenty twenty three till
like earlier this year. By the way, this is something
that's kind of cool that I forgot to mention because
you asked what it was like playing for Guns N' Roses.
So we had been. We had been. We'd taken a
break from playing life for several reasons, which I've discussed before.

(01:10:55):
But then and end that time, I was making music.
So I was writing a shitload of music. Try came demoing.
We had we have something like seventeen songs which we're
putting into two different albums, almost like a user illusion
one and two almost not the same. I'm not going
to release them around the same time. They're going to
come out back to back, but like one this year,

(01:11:16):
the other one next year. And the first show that
we had coming back was the Gunn Roses Show, and
it was a new band, new lineup, because basically the
old guys were gone. I moved to a new country
because I had to move. I had to leave my

(01:11:37):
hometown and that's why I came out to my wife
to Saudi. You know, the what I mentioned earlier. I
was almost homeless a year ago, and then I decided,
like fuck this, I need to take care of my family,
moved everything out to Saudi. Saudi Arabia. I had to,
like my life was just like a one eighty degree
shit show. And I remember there was talking about trepping

(01:12:00):
the amount of anxiety that I felt coming out here.
I don't know anyone in the music industry here. I
mean I know them, but I don't really know them.
I know them as high Hello, and I've got to
start from scratch. But then these two guys like just
sort of happened. My bandmate Abdella is like, I know,

(01:12:22):
this guy's an amazing drummer and inseing guitars. He's actually
better than I am a guitar, but he fucking plays
circles around me. But I reached out to him. I'm like, hey, man,
you what do you think of us, you know, putting
something together. You're I'm a Hubbo, which is about thirty
five minutes away by car, and I can always just
drive over and we can rehearse and whatever. He's like,

(01:12:43):
send me your new material and then he sends them
back with drums track at his studio and I'm like,
that was sort of and I jokingly say that was
sort of his audition and it was insane, Like I
was like, holy shit, this guy plays the way I
like drummers playing, you know. And then that was it man.
And the next thing, you know, I sent him a
text when that Guns and Roses show was confirmed. I'm like, hey,

(01:13:03):
guess what your first show coming back with winter Burn
with us playing live is going to be opening for
Guns n' Roses. And they're like, what the fuck? Yeah,
like like ten thousand people like good luck, So you know,
like that was a trip, like when the show was done,
so we that's why we had that mini tour book
because we said, guys going on stage right before Guns

(01:13:25):
and Roses is a very daunting thing. Let's do like
a few shows before so we can get our shit together. Yeah,
and one of the shows we bombed so bad, dude,
we bombed back. Okay, yeah, we bombed like everything that
could go wrong went wrong. Now we noticed it, but
most of the crowd loved it. Everyone loved it, you know,

(01:13:46):
like the place was on fire. But our manager also
noticed that we bombed because he knows the standard of
this man, and he came and had a strong word
with me. He had some firm words with me. And
then we had unplugged show right before the Guns show
at Virgin Megastore and that was like the final thing.

(01:14:06):
And then like two days later, it's we're opening for
Guns to where I'm like, you know what, guys, we
fucking bombed and we sucked ass. But we're gonna go
to Virgin Megastore do this unplugged show. We're gonna play
like a rock band, electric bass, drums, all of that.
I'm the only one who's gonna be unplugged. Just play
like you're playing for fucking gunn Roses, and let's just

(01:14:28):
see how it goes. And we tore the shit out
of that place. Man. We crushed it, and I was like, yeah, man,
I know, we're good. It was just that the nerves
got to us. We get to the Guns and Roses
show and it was just like perfect. The vocal harmonies
are tight, the band sounds killer. Our light production, which
I didn't even know about because I had planned the

(01:14:50):
light production thing right before the Guns show because I
was like, we can't open for Guns and Ruses and
not have and that's something, by the way, I had
to mention watching back to the beginning was kind of disappointing.
I love the show, so many amazing moments, but I
just felt like kind of underwhelmed about the stage production
from a lot of the bands. I don't know if
they were limited or if there was a reason why.

Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
I wonder it was just to keep things moving and
just like another I think the element of what could
go wrong and just just focus on the music. That's
just me maybe out loud, I don't know, or.

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
Maybe maybe it was because it was during the day
so you don't tend to notice lights as well. But
later on after the show, I started getting all these
videos from people at the top of the arena and
the lights are just fucking insane, and I'm like, oh
my god, that's what everyone was watching. Like I didn't
even know it looked like that. And like they're even

(01:15:41):
programmed to the thematic concepts of the lyrics. Like there's
a song about war and I wrote in my notes
theme green during this break it goes red because it's
a very dramatic part of the song. And like this
guy actually listened to the records and went by click
tracks and it was just incredible. So like when we

(01:16:02):
watched that back, we're like, damn, man, we fucking crushed.
Like so I'm not saying this to pat myself on
the back. This is just reality, man, Like we really
did the best that I think a band. I mean,
like the best one of the best shows that we've
ever done as a band, And we put on a

(01:16:24):
killer show man Duff fucking dug it. The gun's crew
dug it, the arena owners dug it.

Speaker 2 (01:16:31):
So I mean, it's it's a story you can't make
up for all the reasons we've been talking about, uh,
just musically, region personality wise, overcoming afflictions. It's just like
there's so much gatekeeping, assholes, you know, there's there's so
many elements to this story, and it's one of this

(01:16:54):
I think this episode of this conversation is one of
the main reasons why I enjoy doing this podcast. I'm
here in far Still, Queens talking to you know, somebody
who could be easily be my friend, but you're in
Saudi Arabia across the across the globe. I was just
watching what was it? It wasn't money in the bank.
It was whatever wrestling but they call it p l

(01:17:15):
E in Saudi Arabia now, and just seeing all those
fans and just like, Okay, I'm never gonna go who
am I ever talked to in Saudi Arabia? And then
like a week later, I'm talking to you and they're
all the same. I'm like, I love it. There's no
difference because like they're just a bunch of rabid wrestling
fans like you know I am, and guns are fans.
So I mean that we all meet here. You know,

(01:17:36):
whether you however you feel about Axel Rose's voice, but
as long as we support him, we meet here. I'm
still having this conversation online. It is okay. I need
to say it again. It is okay if you critique.
It's okay if you prefer a certain thing rasp and
I am not in denial or sugar coating anything because yeah,

(01:17:57):
he's sixty three, but you can't compare what he's gone
through with Stephen Tyler. We don't know the surgeries and everything.
He's out there again he knows he's one of the
smartest rockers ever. You know what makes me angry when
what makes me angry is when people think it's laziness
or something like. It's been documented about his training. It's

(01:18:18):
been documented by the guys and guns and Roses, by
the guys in ac DC, the current so Ron Anderson,
So everything has been documented about how hard he works.
And if you don't want to see it, then don't
go to see it. If you want to say, hey,
this is not my favorite, that's cool. What bothers me
is when people just make memes or just like the

(01:18:38):
drop in just like angry or nicknames or just like
just like being a dick. There's a difference between having
a constructive criticism as a fan or just letting your
opinion known then just being an asshole, like being in
that guy trying to gatekeep you from seeing Slash like
there's just a difference.

Speaker 3 (01:18:56):
So uh I those guys, I don't care, like like
what anyone says. And I know that right before that,
when we had announced this, there there was a group
that had all these musicians and some promoters in our region.
And I was in that group. And I don't like
fucking WhatsApp groups. I'm not a WhatsApp group person, like

(01:19:19):
I have a family group. They added me to and
I fucking exited that group and I started blocking people
for putting me in that group. I'm like, do not
send me this ship. I don't do this what's app
weird cult. And so they put me in this regional group.
And when we had mentioned or when the announcement came
out about us, someone sent a very unflattering picture of

(01:19:42):
Axel and Slash on stage. It was clearly photoshop, you
know the one I'm talking about. He was wearing like
a black teacher. I think he's got like a flannel
wrapped around his waist. It was it was it was
like a few years ago. It was like six years
ago or something. I don't think it's a real old picture.
I I don't think so, because I've never seen an

(01:20:03):
Axle look like that. But even if it was a
real picture, I was like, uh, that's not what actual
looks like right now. And that's that's this picture clearly
looks photoshopped because my I literally watched a gun because
I I tend to keep up with bands I love,
even if it's ship fan footage, and I'm like, I
just watched the show for guns, and he does not

(01:20:23):
look like that?

Speaker 1 (01:20:24):
Was it?

Speaker 2 (01:20:24):
The one I know when he had the fou man
shoe and the bandana. No, no, no, no, no, okay,
because that was Yeah. I've seen a couple of because
that one, and it goes around photoshopped, which is uh
stretched out to make him look bigger. And there's one
that came out recently of like mating making him look
like three times the size that he ever was.

Speaker 3 (01:20:45):
Like a massive yeah, and his hair is all messed up.

Speaker 1 (01:20:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:48):
And I was just like, there are people though that
are going to believe that. And it's amazing when I
used recently share the photos of him at the Sabbath
Show taking pictures with everybody from fucking Lizzy al you know,
did Dave Elison of course, James Hetfield like, oh he's
skinny again. Oh good, for him, and the worst is, oh,

(01:21:09):
it must be the ozembic. All those comments got to him.
Fuck why it does. If you're too big, it's not
good enough. If you're too skinny, it's not good enough.
It's just like the record you held up earlier, the
appetite for destruction. Whatever you say about the dude, about
his voice, his physical appearance is not going to take
away what's on that record ever, nothing, And you're just

(01:21:33):
trying to make yourself feel better. That's what bothers me.
You can have an opinion, but you're trying to undermine
the accomplishments what this guy has done, you know, and
his history as we fans know, the ship that he
went through in his childhood.

Speaker 3 (01:21:47):
It's like and I can relate to him because of that.
So you know, when he did all that crazy shit
in the nineties, and like you know, people you know,
like these fucking corny casual rock fans is lit And
I'm like, you know what, dude, I know that maybe
what he did back then wasn't cool and he had
some eccentric behavior, but I kind of can I get.

Speaker 2 (01:22:08):
It, man way. I always felt that way too. I'm like, man,
if someone did something really upset me, and no one's
doing anything about it. I've done it. I will throw
a punch. I've done it in my life. Not in
many years, because you grow up, but I've absolutely done that.
And I was like, that's the childhood.

Speaker 3 (01:22:24):
Yeah, but the childhood part, like remember that speech where
he was on stage and he's like actual little you
know that s feature? He's like, that's feature and he
starts talking about his family and like how he mentioned
certain thing and the press, things in the press, and
they were not happy about it. And I was like, dude, dude,
I relate to this guy. And I remember when I
was a kid and I the first gun song I

(01:22:45):
ever heard was a Gain in the Ring and I
was fucking copied on a cassette tape. So can you
imagine as a kid hearing that, I'm like, Yo, what
on earth is this rant in the middle? And my
dad walked in on me listening to that, and he
was livid.

Speaker 2 (01:22:58):
He was like what is that?

Speaker 3 (01:23:00):
But then he was cool, Like later on when I
got appetite and I went through the inlay cards and
I would read the lyrics. I related to that man
because I grew up a mixed race kid. I had
so much fucking racist shit, nationalist fascist nonsense hurled at
me growing up my whole life. I was never good
enough for this race. I was never good enough for
my other race. Both races hated me, you know, and

(01:23:23):
and so like that was the ship that resonated with me,
the gun stuff, and I love that. Now. I know
someone might point at one in a million and go,
but that song, funnily enough, I hate those lyrics, okay,
but that is one of my favorite guns and Rosa songs.

(01:23:44):
Musically speaking, I think that I'm glad I, which is
fucked up because I hate those lyrics. You know that
those you know what lines I'm talking about. But anyways,
generally speaking, generally speaking, songs like don't damn me, you know,
like don't doubt me when I speak a peace of mind?
You know, casallence isn't golden. You know that ship.

Speaker 1 (01:24:05):
When I was a kid, I was like, the fuck, yeah,
that's me, bro like.

Speaker 3 (01:24:08):
Back off, bitch, you know she like that that was
me and this is who I am. And then I
was a kid when Terminator Too came out and that
scene with Edward Furlong where his foster parents are assholes
and he gets on his little motocross bike and they're
playing you could be mine.

Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
I was like, fuck, yes, she's not my mom. Todd
and I had the same Edward.

Speaker 3 (01:24:30):
For long her coat.

Speaker 1 (01:24:32):
Yeah that's me.

Speaker 3 (01:24:34):
That's this kid is me, you know, like, and so
I could relate to all of that. Even though I
was living in the Arab world, I was in the
middle of you know, this little town. I had the
same feelings, man, because there was a lot of angst,
there was a lot of pain, you know. That's why
when I look at his childhood, I'm like, I understand
him to a certain extent. And he was going through

(01:24:57):
a regressive therapy at the time, so I can understand
and lost his shit. But back to the voice thing,
you know, I still love Axel and man, he and
by the way, sure it's it's I know that I think.
I don't think that he can't sing rough. I think
that he's being careful because I heard some shows over

(01:25:18):
the past few weeks after we played with him, and
he's had some fucking crazy like high notes, you know,
like and it's raw, and I'm like, damn, man, that's
that's like twenty sixteen. Axle coming back and I think
he's just being careful because he's going to blow his voice.

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
I think there's a lot of it, and I feel
like he sometimes he does say oh, I was sick,
and he might give a reason if he might have
a bad show, But I think there's just a lot
because you're not the only one we speculate about twenty
sixteen and ruining or whatever. He may or not done
with his voice with ac DC, but he uh, he's aware,

(01:25:57):
and I think he's just being smart with it. M
because you're like, oh, why can't you do an octave lower?
Maybe he can't do that for the entire there's gotta
be a reason. Like as as a non singer, I
say that there's got to be a reason why he's
doing it. But those who go to shows, that's something
else that I say because I'm I'm not gonna I

(01:26:19):
understand how I look at life through guns and rose
colored glasses. That's my line, But I'm not gonna belind.
I'm not gonna be blinded. I know it doesn't sound
great at times at all, and I want to just
say it like that doesn't sound great. I don't want
to use it in any other phrase, but he again again,
I don't know what he there's a reason, there's a
reason why he does it, and I don't want to

(01:26:40):
pile on the negative to it. But people who go
to shows enjoy themselves. I think there's just a difference
when you go to a show and you're watching an
online clip. So it's I'm gonna I'm gonna take the
opinion of people who are actually attending these Guns to
Roses shows over you know, an online clip and the
day of the week. I understand if you can't see

(01:27:02):
them and the world is reliant on online clips, but
just read reviews. The fact that they're playing still all
over the world. If it was a bad show, they
wouldn't be doing it. So and they're getting awesome opening
acts from from Public Enemy to uh to Winter Burns.

Speaker 3 (01:27:22):
Thank You. It's an honor to be to be on
that like sort of to be and the Guns and
Roses Openers Club on.

Speaker 2 (01:27:34):
The Appetite for Distortion Interview Club, because that's what I
would get all the all the interviews, That's what I
would look at at the beginning. But since I'm never
gonna get to get a Guns and Roses interview, who's
open for them, I've done this, like, okay, who's open
for them? When you see who I could get who
wouldn't mind talking so but I didn't.

Speaker 3 (01:27:53):
I'll put you in contact with my my buddy who
opened for them in India because that those guys are
now they made it through on America's Got talent as well,
which is pretty cool. And those guys are killer. They're
one of my favorite. And remember when I said other
than Velvet, there were a couple of shows I've seen
in the little clubs where I was like, holy shit,
his band was one of them where I was like,

(01:28:14):
and I just I saw I seen him right after
Guns n' Roses reunion and I'm like, what the fuck
was that?

Speaker 2 (01:28:19):
You know? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:28:21):
Please, I wanted to mention. I wanted to mention something
because we're talking about Guns n' Roses shows and you
you said that about not dwelling on the negative, and
I agree with you all that, Like I go for
the over all experience aside from these little.

Speaker 2 (01:28:36):
Because it's not America's got talent. That's the thing. If
it was America's got talent, we'd be talking about something else.
This is just a rock show. We don't need to everything.
This needs to be under a microscope.

Speaker 3 (01:28:48):
Sorry, and then you know you're right. And the overall
experience was amazing and fun and I had a good time.
And ever, it seems like everyone that's going is coming
back home with nothing but positive things to say. And
then I watched Believe It or Not. I watched back
to the beginning, and I'm a metal fan too, but

(01:29:08):
Guns were obviously one of the major like like acts
that I was like, Oh, man, I can't wait to
see what they're gonna do. I was fucking blown away.
They played two Sabbath songs that they played, never Say Die,
which Slash, funnily enough, posted on his Instagram a few
weeks ago, and I.

Speaker 4 (01:29:27):
Was like, oh cool, Slash posted never Say Die because
that's one of my favorite songs growing up as a kid,
which I find to be very and they play It's
all right as well, but that specific song to me
has always been so underrated.

Speaker 3 (01:29:40):
I love it right. And then Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath was
fucking killer, man, Like, they crushed the shit out of
that song. You told me.

Speaker 2 (01:29:49):
Before what made you just need to insert this here
about some of the issues you would have on stage
that seemed to be. What was happening with Axel is that.

Speaker 3 (01:29:58):
I think it was an air piece thing monitor.

Speaker 2 (01:30:00):
And also that he was so excited did you hear
like just hear him talk and taking all these pictures.
That's got to play into ah into it, and especially
someone like Axel Rose who's been you say, you're you've
been doing it for a long time and you guys
got to do it. Ax has been doing it for longer,
play for a lot more people. He can still get excited.

(01:30:21):
It affects you all these things, but you can tell.

Speaker 3 (01:30:24):
He's he was out of his element. I'm not talking
about on stage. I'm talking about backstage because I've never
seen Axel Rose mingle and like take that many pictures
and socialize with that many people like he doesn't seem
he seems like a more And it's not a it's
not a critique of the person. This is like some

(01:30:44):
people are a bit reclusive or.

Speaker 2 (01:30:46):
Something like that, despite having a podcast. I am like that.
I'm telling you, I am a hermit.

Speaker 3 (01:30:52):
Same same. A lot of people are like, oh, you
speak confidently, You're good at public speaking. I'm like, dude,
I'm the shyest fucking guy. Ever, this is my coping
making it. I just project this outwardly thing because it's
the way for me to sort of overcome my shyness.
But I'm a very shy person. I would actually prefer
just to be left alone. But I saw those pictures,

(01:31:12):
and he's taking pictures with everybody, everybody, like literally, like
guys that I didn't even know. Actually Rose knew some
of these musicians. I'm like, fuck, he actually knows this
person or is he just being you know, courteous. So
I think, yeah, I I By the way, I watched
that when that thing happened, it was in the heavier
section of Sabbath, Buddy Sabbath, and I'm like, oh, it

(01:31:36):
sounds like his ear piece is deleted or something's fucked,
but it's not him. I think it's his ear monitors
are off because he's singing and time, but he's not
in time with the band.

Speaker 1 (01:31:48):
So something is.

Speaker 3 (01:31:49):
Something is. It's definitely a technical thing, but I honestly,
I didn't really.

Speaker 2 (01:31:55):
Care about I didn't notice it until after.

Speaker 3 (01:31:58):
I really do. Shit. I didn't give it it because
I was like, holy shit, they're playing Sabbath, bloody Sabbath.
Holy shit, they've dropped it down to D Because I'm
a guitarist. I noticed how Slash is playing. I'm like, oh,
it's heavier. Whoa, what a song choice. Damn man, guz
Rosa should really cover this in the studio, you know,
Like I started like, you're in this whole I'm in

(01:32:19):
this whole other zone. Like I'm so stoked watching the
whole thing that I just didn't even really care. But
I noticed that stuff later as well, because I read
a couple of comments where they were like, oh, Axel whatever,
and I was like, Okay, wait a minute, and I
was like, yeah, I think his earpieces, his ear monitors
are fucked, you know, like it's not him. That's why

(01:32:39):
I never wear ear monitors on stage. It's because they
scare me. Even at the gun show, we had three
sets of ear monitors and I said, song gonna happen
guys and my bandmates were super like what was the word?
They were like, really, they're very cautious about stuff like
this ear monitors and being on time. I'm like, you

(01:32:59):
work with their click, but I'm not wearing any hair
monitor on stage, like because if that shit. Like I
tried them once at the festival that we were headlining
and at soundcheck and and I was like, no, man,
I just it just feels so weird. You will notice
a young blood took takes one off and puts one
on because he wants to feel the stage.

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
I'm like that with my own headphones, I can't be lost.
And you know, it's obviously completely different, but I'm the
same way.

Speaker 1 (01:33:28):
It's the same thing.

Speaker 3 (01:33:28):
I mean, even when I track music on our records,
certain instruments you can't, you know, you have to wear
your headphones, like vocals or whatever. I'll always have one
slightly off because I just need to know how I'm
singing more. I need to hear what it's like in
the room. But yeah, so I saw this the guns thing,
but overall, like like I said, man, they played never

(01:33:50):
Say Diet, and I was just like, I was so
fucking stoked. I was like I didn't believe it. I
was like, yo, Axel knows this song like, and then
they played Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. I'm like, ship, I know
I know what he's into. Like musically, you know, I'm
into Queen and Elton John and a lot of the
older rock medicine. I just never knew they were into Sabbath,

(01:34:11):
like like that into Sabbath, you never say die.

Speaker 2 (01:34:14):
He's been in my head since. You know, it really happens,
and that's great again, you know you don't have to
it doesn't have to be your favorite performance. But at
the overall, I mean, just what a positive, what a
great day, and you know, uh, rock and roll summer camp.
I believe some people are calling her a heavy metal
summer camp. And one thing else before I there's another

(01:34:37):
thought before we I told you we were going to
go along because this is just like we're old friends
catching up. That's what it feels like. You see all
those comments about Axel, he doesn't why does any smile?
I mean A you see those like he doesn't smile
a lot into any of the pictures in pictures right
and A. I mean, well there's there's three letters. I

(01:34:59):
want to give you. A. There are, of course, a
lot of pictures where he's mean, mugging, he's just and
there's one of my favorites is I think it was
the picture he took with uh they took with Snoop
Dogg where everyone's smiling except for Axel. I mean there
are there, yes, there are a lot of those, but
there are plenty, so that's that's a b. There are
plenty of pictures of him smiling, usually usually with fans women.

Speaker 3 (01:35:22):
Usually.

Speaker 2 (01:35:23):
I mean it's if you look at videos and I
just signing autographs, the guy's got a huge smile on
his face.

Speaker 3 (01:35:27):
Yeah, it's always really nice to the fans.

Speaker 2 (01:35:29):
In three, don't we teach like creepy guys not to
say to women, Hey, you'd be prettier if you smiled more.
So we're gonna do this to Axel Rose. He axeld
smile for me, you'd be prettier. I mean, it's weird,
just weird. He just doesn't smile. I'm like that too,
where it has to be a genuine smile. Where I

(01:35:52):
would tell back in the days with the throwaway cameras,
I would say, don't say cheese. Say something really stupid
to make me laugh, say like penis or something to
make me laugh, and that'll make me smile because it's
a fake. Otherwise, I'm just that's just the way I am.
Maybe that's just the way Axel is. I don't know.
I guess another criticism of Axel Rose he's fat, he's think,

(01:36:14):
he doesn't smile enough. He doesn't sound like he's in
his twenties. Leave the guy alone and let's just enjoy this.
And as we saw, you know, our rock stars are
only here. We're here for a finite amount of time.
Just touch grass.

Speaker 3 (01:36:28):
I listened to the Alan Nevin episode that you did
and the shit that he talked about, Like how axel
all the scrutiny on this man from his twenties all
the way till now. It's just unreal.

Speaker 2 (01:36:43):
Man.

Speaker 3 (01:36:44):
I just can't imagine being either him or Slash, you know,
I mean, Slash is genuinely, genuinely sorry you don't. I
hear a lot of criticisms. He's had a different life experience.
But the scrutiny and the people and the fans, and
it's fucking creepy.

Speaker 2 (01:37:03):
Bro.

Speaker 3 (01:37:03):
Like I go on these Instagram accounts, I don't go
on them. They pop up on my floor page and
it's like they're so weird. It's like obsessive, like creepy
stalking of these guys, and like they have pictures, even
personal pictures of them. I'm like, how the fuck did
they get a hold of that? You know, Like some
of them are not even on their official accounts or

(01:37:25):
their spouses.

Speaker 2 (01:37:27):
That's the fan thing. Just collecting photos. That's always happened.
I mean, as long as it's not somebody in the shower,
I'm like, okay, but there, you know, there's like a
photo of a you know, slash.

Speaker 1 (01:37:37):
His lips smile. I'm like, I can't.

Speaker 3 (01:37:41):
I mean, I love these guys, but I can't imagine
even if I was, like, there are a lot of
female celebrity crushes on mine and I'm like, yeah, I
can't imagine being like that, you know, like oh, her lips,
you know.

Speaker 2 (01:37:54):
Hair lips some people. I mean, that's just fandom. The
ones I know I always find funny, just marriage proposals,
like my posts. I'm just like, why is any acts
of my wife? I'm like, I don't know, why are
you putting this in my thing? I don't know, But whatever,
as long as it's harmless, because there are real stalkers
out there. Whatever your whatever, your your kink is, whatever

(01:38:16):
you gotta do that, that's fine.

Speaker 3 (01:38:18):
Uh nas.

Speaker 2 (01:38:19):
I mean this was a pleasure. Obviously, this was we
were able to talk right from the get go. H
extra long episode worthy of it because this is your
story was worth hearing and just the cool guns and
Roses conversation. So you're not just somebody who opened for them,
You're somebody who's a fan. So I enjoyed this conversation
from all aspects here and the serious stuff too, you know,

(01:38:42):
gives us an opportunity to show because we're certainly not
the only one suffering from uh from disabilities MS. I
wish I had a cool one. I have to say
demiliinating peripheral and moropathy each time. That's not suxy, you know,
you know, you.

Speaker 3 (01:38:58):
Know, like, yeah, it's in. It's like a shortened version
of it. But listen, you're not going to believe this.
Where I live, people didn't even know what my illness
was for a long time. I knew it MS was
because of Clive Burn. I mean I knew ALS and
MS and all that because Heroes of Mind hat.

Speaker 1 (01:39:16):
So I knew.

Speaker 3 (01:39:18):
When you said, what you've got, like, I could figure
out pretty much what you know your illness was, I'm like, okay,
because we have demili nation of the tendon sheet. So
it's sort of you know, the generation I guess of
sounds like you know, I kind of figured out, but
I appreciate it. Then, like the feeling is mutual.

Speaker 1 (01:39:41):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:39:42):
I appreciate all the positive feedback you having me on
and massive respect to you doing all of this stuff,
being a dad killer show despite you know your condition,
and you know, all I can say is keep fighting, brother,
right on.

Speaker 2 (01:40:01):
No, I appreciate thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:40:02):
I guess I'll do the same man, you know, but
thanks again for having me. And I'm a big fan
of the show.

Speaker 2 (01:40:07):
Man, you know, so thank you. I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:40:10):
I listened to it casually before, but now for sure
because I listened to it deeper. Now I listened to
I was listening to your the review back to the
beginning earlier. Today I had to cut it off because
I had to run some errands. But I was like,
oh shit, I'll get back to this episode later. But
it's a long one.

Speaker 2 (01:40:29):
I try not to do those, but I mean, here
we are in another long episode. Some conversations can't be contained,
and this is so that was one. This was one,
and I would be remiss. I'll end it here just
thanks to Greg Renoff, who suggested he's the one that
he's like. You should interview h Winterburn, the author of
Greg's Been On the podcast, author of Van Halen Rising

(01:40:52):
in the taking my favorite books ever.

Speaker 3 (01:40:55):
By the way, he's a.

Speaker 2 (01:40:57):
Good books, good person, an awesome guy. Yeah he's a
Jets fan, but I don't hold that against him. I'm
a Giant fan, so we're both suffering. I don't know
if that means anything to you.

Speaker 3 (01:41:08):
It's just well, I was a Raiders fan for many
years and then I just gave up. That sounds like
a Raiders like with all of my teams. All my
teams fucking suck bro growing up like, I'm a west
Ham fan in Premier League football. The only team that
I support that's actually good is Internouncing. I mean, like
that's Italian football. But my main football club is west

(01:41:29):
Ham United American football. It's the Raiders, and they suck.
They they suck ass and like it's just been a nightmare.
But now, but Greg is such a cool guy and
I sent him I had no idea when you sent
me a text. I sent Greg a text back. I
was like, thank you so much for giving us a

(01:41:50):
shout out and connecting us, because it was crazy because
I years ago I bought his book Eruption, and that
the book I'm a Eddie Van Halen is my hero
my all time guitar hero is Eddie Van Halen, so
you know, like a great, awesome book men, and so
I was really grateful that he, you know, he connected us.

(01:42:13):
I'm grateful that you had me on.

Speaker 4 (01:42:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:42:15):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:42:15):
As soon as he he told me, I was like, oh,
that's cool. That's exactly because I haven't been able to
do a lot of fan reviews this year with my
son and you know, cramming a lot. During this specific week,
I try to do even know his podcasts, but I
try to make it feel live to tape, and I'm like,
this is more than a fan review. I mean, it
kind of is because you're a fan talking to a band.

(01:42:37):
And then I didn't know about the MS until we
were talking about before the podcast. I didn't know, and
so I just like, yeah, this was right. So this
was so thank you Greg, all the listeners, all my
little producers. So you might be uh two if you
can help me schedule that band from from India.

Speaker 3 (01:42:55):
So oh, I will definitely do even though I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:42:58):
Solo, I I couldn't do this without all you know,
all my peeps are around me wherever they are in
the world. So that does it for this episode of
appetite forward distortion when we see the next one. In
the words of Axel Rose concerning Chinese democracy, I don't
know if as soon as the word, but you'll see it.

Speaker 3 (01:43:20):
Thanks to the lame mass security.

Speaker 1 (01:43:22):
I'm going home.

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Naser Mestarihi, Winterburn: First All-Arab Band to Open for Guns N' Roses | Ep. 519

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Naser Mestarihi, Winterburn: First All-Arab Band to Open for Guns N' Roses | Ep. 519