Five years after performing at the City Hall club in Haifa, we decided it's time to pay the Israeli north another visit. Back in 2003, when we were still playing Radiohead covers, we managed to attract 70 people to a concert of a-then-unknown band without setting a foot in Haifa before the concert, and despite the size of the City Hall, it was considered a nice achievement. The thing we remember most about that concert is that it was one of the most fun we've ever had.

This time we weren't so lucky. Although we performed with two other bands, the turnout was disappointing. Having said that – it was one of the most fun shows we've ever had! There's something about this place... I don't know if it's the comfortably roomy stage or the general setting of the place, but there were definitely good vibes that made us completely forget the fact that we're playing in front of 30 people scattered around in a giant hall. That, along with the fact that our most devoted fans traveled all the way to Haifa from the center just to see us, made this a night to remember after all.

I was very impressed by A Numb Disorder, the band who opened this event, and also had an important role in making it happen. It is a north-based band of teenagers that plays a style not yet clearly defined. They have some roots in metal and prog-metal, but lead singer Aviv Tal's deep baritone voice changes the picture. True, they're not as advanced as The Holdouts, a band in the same age class, but they show much potential. Their songwriting is ambitious, although it needs some more structuring and editing. I was participially captivated by one song they played after Aviv introduced the players - including the bass player who has been on board for merely a month, which was not noticeable - it featured a pull-off riff and some Hoobastank-like arrangement – which formed an immediate hook. They decided to finish their concert with a cover for Ashes, a song by Pain of Salvation – which took some balls, I'll tell you that. We've dangled with the notion of covering a POS song in the past, but never got to actually do it. Those are pretty huge shoes to fill – so once again, kudos.

We were followed by REALEAF, a very groovy (yes, groovy!) psychedelic band, that has managed to perform various times in Israel and in Europe, focusing mainly on Berlin. They are about to set off for another tour in Berlin soon. REALEAF gave a wonderful set, performing as if in front of an audience of thousands of people.

It was a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, there were great performances, good sound and a lovely (yet small) audience. On the other hand, you can't ignore the facts – pulling off an event of this magnitude simply doesn't pay off. If it hadn't been for the good vibes, my conclusions would have simply been not to bother with the north or any of the other peripheries at all. But that is not the right conclusion. A lot of mistakes and mishaps had occurred in preparations for this event (ones that I best keep to myself), and as Shlomi, who has been running the City Hall for countless years, told us: if the band doesn't arrive at Haifa to promote the show, it simply doesn't happen.

Our next concert on July 14 at the Tmuna is going to be our last concert in the upcoming months. Opher is going to travel in Europe, and in the meantime, we will continue work on demo recordings for our second album.