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Kaveret

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Kaveret, known outside of Israel as Poogy, was a cult Israeli rock band in the 1970s, whose influence on the Israeli culture is probably comparable to the influence of the Beatles on the British society.

In 1974, about half a million Israeli fans came to a Kaveret's concert, which at that time represented 1/6th of the entire country's population!

A few months ago my wife called me and said she just heard on the radio that Kaveret is giving their "last ever" two reunion concerts in Jerusalem's Sultan's pool arena in July. The on-line tickets sale opened up at a certain hour and all 6000 tickets for each concert were sold within 30 min. I managed to grab 4 tickets for the whole family.

Finally, on Jul 19 we came to see their performance. By sheer luck (and careful calculation on my part) the sound people decided that our original seats in the middle row were the best place for the audio mixer, so we were bumped to the front row!

I was a little afraid that the show would be a bleak shadow of the original, with all the band members in their 60s...

It was great. They had a full complement of young backup musicians who helped to keep a very full sound (even better than the original). Since almost all Kaveret's members kept playing and singing over the years, they were all in good shape and well rehearsed, except for the lead singer Gidi Gov, who broke his arm just before the concert and was visibly tired and in pain.

I was taking pictures during the entire show, in the comfort of my front row seat, smiling at the professional photographers occasionally crawling on the floor in front of the stage. At one time some girl with a badge came over and asked me which media outlet I represent. I should have said the New York Times or PRAVDA, but I honestly answered that I represent myself. The girl was clearly shaken, but composed herself and told me that I am not allowed to take pictures without an accreditation. I was not in a mood for confrontation so I said ok, she left and I continued to take pictures.

About 20 min before the end, the organizers allowed the crowd to fill the area between the front row and the stage. I had to raise the camera all the way above my head to take this picture of the stage. I doubt it can convey the emotional atmosphere at the concert, but it represents an unforgettable experience for me.

Here is a few more pictures, for the fans of the group among you:

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