Tel Aviv Back In The Loop

After six years with barely a visit from a major international act, Shuki Weiss said Israel is rapidly emerging from the rock ‘n’ roll wilderness and will soon reclaim its place on the touring circuit.

Even before reduction in the number of terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv, Weiss was always adamant that playing the country wasn’t as dangerous as people were led to believe.

Three years ago, shortly after he was forced to cancel a Red Hot Chili Peppers show because the U.S. Embassy was advising Americans not to visit the area, he said, “I understand and respect the management’s and the artist’s point and their decision not to come over because of fear of terror although, from the professional point of view and especially the security aspects, there’s no problem with organising an international act’s performance here.”

Although fully understanding that it’s hard for an act to go to a country when its government was telling it not to, Weiss said international talent would actually do some good in the area.

“Artists have a tremendous power on public opinion throughout the world and, if they played here, they could give their humanitarian, political or personal views on any subject for or even against any government.”

His opinions about visits from international talent actually benefitting Tel Aviv was shown to be true when Phil Collins flew in to play a November 7th show at the 15,000-capacity Bloomfield Stadium. The local media went into such a frenzy that local political and religious issues seemed to be put on hold for a couple days.

Weiss described it as a “a magic 48 hours” and said he hoped Collins’ visit would “open people’s eyes,” which seems to be the case. A trickle of international talent is beginning to turn into a stream.

This year began with visits from Mercury Rev, John Cale, and dEUS. Now Weiss is capitalizing on an outdoor market that has been starved of top international talent for more than half a decade.

Having sold out two indoor shows for Kelly Clarkson at the 5,000-capacity Bitan 1, with all the tickets going in a week, he has already shifted more than 10,000 for a Depeche Mode show that is still five months away.

–John Gammon