Flip-Flops; that’s what you know how to do, arrive to an event with flip-flops. A decade has passed since you went to a real rock concert, the kind you sweat in and touch other people’s bodies just because there is no choice, when they are so wet and you don’t know whether it’s your sweat or someone else’s, and you choose to arrive with Flip-Flops. Not just regular ones, but ones you bought in the central bus station for 50 NIS, made out of real imitation leather and with a sole which is supposed to last for more than a month. You assume everything will be alright, you left your laptop at home and brought your camera. In the worst case, it will break. A live gig is something else, but, it’s important to understand that there’s nothing like hearing music for real without the performance, the idea of standing there with all the Jiffa, smoke, heat, sweat, girls clinging to you, everything, there’s nothing like hearing the first and last note in each and every song, to feel you’re not the only idiot screaming out the lyrics, and to know you’re special, just like everyone else, and just like everyone else, you’re so vain, you probably think that this song is about you.

They go up on stage. UNKLE were so disappointing that you can’t even explain it. You don’t know whether they will perform their new material and forget the new. You start to worry; what will happen if they won’t play my favorite songs? Trent goes on stage with a 3/4 pants and army boots, you think it’s strange and the light blinds you. The music, on the other hand, does everything without even noticing, the show rolls where song after song change so naturally, like the songs weren’t written during the last twenty years. are Nine Inch Nails so progressive that they sound so updated for twenty years without going stale? NIN appear to be the most updated band with the newest sound, even when they had the same exact sound in the early 90s, the one which appears to be both electronic and rockish. I still remember the first time i had to explain to a friend why should he listen to them, I couldn’t explain to him why are they nor Electro neither rock, and especially i couldn’t explain to him why is this music so diverse and layered more than progressive trance. On the other hand, he didn’t like them since they made too much noise. Sharon and you are standing in the fourth row, maybe fifth from the bars, you’re closer to Trent than 99% percent of the audience. You take pictures like there’s no tomorrow, hoping to get a decent picture to your blog.

The stage transforms to a giant LCD monitor that allows the trio to play through it on instruments no one knows who created. The guitar is strapped to machines that are connected with high voltage cables and you don’t know where does the sound come from, but you enjoy every minute. First Pogo Dance and you are still in one piece, after the second it gets a little irritating. Some girl pushes herself forward, and you find yourself in an awkward position, suddenly, out of all the pushing, you’re hugging her and caressing her hips, it’s somewhat troubling and you don’t know what to do, do you cooperate? she’s probably a decade younger than you, maybe, maybe a bit less. You explain to her that she’s stepping on you, it’s not her fault, flip-flops, you know. She told you she could have came with her army boots, but at least that didn’t happen.

You understand that you’re no longer sixteen, and that rock concerts are very nice but your time here is already determined. Some other girl comes and asks you why aren’t you smiling, and you know the answer, you really know why you’re not smiling, you know everything, but you also know that she’s trying to pick you up, you refrain from cooperating. Enjoying the music is the only thing you allow yourself here, and that also should have been a longer enjoyment. You don’t believe the show is over and you don’t regret it at all. This is indeed, by far, the best show you could have seen this year. The only regret is that you didn’t come with your shoes. You sip some water, and some more water, and then go home, you have a blog to update.