Last week I joined the crowd celebrating the launch of The Bench’s new album, “Wet Dream” at a fabulous concert in Reading 3, in Tel Aviv. The atmosphere was electric and the band were euphoric.
The Bench (Lior Itzhaki – Drums, Matan Shatit – Lead Guitar, Guy Strier – Rhythm Guitar, Or Ben Itzhak – Bass and Raziel Mantzur – Vocals) was smoking hot. Their songwriting is phenomenal and their musicianship up there with the best. Their playing was so tight that you couldn’t separate them with a crowbar.
Guests for the evening included Nimrod Shemesh and Sharon Sexton from Blues and Booze; Gal De Paz (Hebrew Wikipedia page); Hadar Levi Gagi and Yali Sharon from Dazy’s Fasulia; and Yali Sobol (Hebrew Wikipedia page).
Maktazith (Guitar – Hadar “GAGI” Levi, Bass – Danny Shnaiderman and Drums – Dor Kelman) opened the evening with their unique blend of punk, rock and talk box. The trio’s mastery of their instruments was as sharp as their boot toe-caps.
Setlist
- Mess
- Spiders
- Haze
- Elvis Medley (with Ninmrod Shemesh and Sharon Sexton from Blues and Booze)
- Mosquito
- Hi Girl
- Not a Morning Person
- Tell Me (with Hadar Levi Gagi and Yali Sharon from Dazy’s Fasulia)
- G-Spot — נקודת הג׳י (with Hadar Levi Gagi and Yali Sharon from Dazy’s Fasulia)
- Fu Fu fu
- Something (with Gal De Paz)
- Wet dream (with Gal De Paz)
- Hummingbird
- You’ll Never Be Mine
- Won’t Let You
- שנים חסומות (with Yali Sobol)
- השמלה ממדריד (with Yali Sobol)
- על הריצפה (with Yali Sobol)
- Enough is Enough
- Encore: Somebody to Love
Opening Act – Maktazith
