It's a glorious morning outside but I spend the first couple of hours working away on my iPad. Having read concerns online about airport security confiscating laptops from solo male passengers before they board their flights out of Israel I've left my computer behind and just have the tablet with me. After all I'm only going to be here for a few days, right, so won't need to access all the usual working documents I share with the team? What could go wrong?!?

Emails duly done, I meet up with James and have breakfast at a local restaurant called Bistro Masada with a great view of the beach. I'm complaining of a pain in my left ear, an achey annoyance that continues through the day, requiring a visit to the pharmacy to pick up some ear drops. Little do I know that by the end of this trip I'll have medicated my ears with everything going and the waiting staff at Bistro Masada will be treating me like a honoured guest. 

But on this first morning we're casually seated at a table and I suggest we order the shakshuka, a famous Israeli breakfast of baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. James opts for the spinach and feta option while I stick with the classic, served of course with tahini, bread and a simple salad of chopped tomatoes, carrots and cucumber. 

It's gorgeous and as we gaze out to sea and the piercing blue skies, we both agree that Tel Aviv is really rather fabulous. Meantime I've heard from the third member of our party, Andy Ford, who has flown in directly from Lisbon with El Al overnight, to say he was delayed but is safely at the hotel and will meet us later, so we wander back to wait for him to arise.

Before he wakes however I hear from Gage, Alice In Chains' tour manager, who suggests I come to the band's hotel to run through the promo itinerary for the next few days. It's only a ten minute walk away but it's so hot and humid outside that I arrive at the much grander Sheraton a sweaty mess, grateful in extremis for the ice-cold air-conditioned blast that greets me in the lobby.

Gage introduces me to the concierge, Eyal, and together we establish a plan of action for how today's interviews will work and, along with the band's companion and assistant Todd, discuss timings and locations for the interviews and tomorrow's photo shoots, both here in the Sheraton and at the venue an hour's drive away.

Once we have everything agreed I meet Mark, the band's manager, who has visited Tel Aviv before and gives me a full lowdown on places to go, cool restaurants and the general vibes of the city. I make a mental note of all his recommendations and - as it turns out - unexpectedly manage to tick them all off the list before I finally leave Israel. However, my left ear is throbbing by this point, with the sensation of a vivid boil deep in my ear canal colouring all my thoughts and conversation. 

James and Andy arrive while I'm chatting to Mark and Andy shares his horror story of security checks at Lisbon having flown in with El Al. Due to arriving on an Israeli airline from one country yet returning to another, whilst travelling solo on a tourist visa for just two nights but packing professional camera equipment, and having his flights paid for by someone else (me), he endured hours of questioning, physical searches, explanations and more before being allowed to board the plane. 

Even worse, he'd been in Lisbon with a bunch of lads on his stag do and had to surrender his phone for the guards to search his social media and photos, which included embarrassing evidence of him dressed as the flamboyant Dee Snider from Twisted Sister; make up, wigs and all! His tales make James and I grateful that we travelled together on direct BA flights and packed light... but confirm our somewhat nervous anticipation of what's to come upon departure.

The first interview today is guitarist and all round guitar icon Jerry Cantrell who arrives late confessing to have overslept but is courteous to a fault and settles himself down in the empty restaurant, looking out over the glorious beach, to be grilled by James about his three decades in rock and the band's new album.

After an hour he's joined by bassist Mike, one of the nicest men on earth, who tells us all about his shopping expedition earlier in Jaffa's flea market, and then later by joking drummer Sean and finally cool-as-a-cucumber singer William DuVall, all of whom chat at length. By the time we're finished James has well over two hours on tape and is in need of a drink.

The band all jump in a people carrier to the venue while we wait our turn in the bar, hooking up with the band's UK agent Josh who's flown in to see the shows as his family live in Tel Aviv. He fills us in on Israeli life and the things to do in Tel Aviv as we travel north to the ancient ruins of Herod's palace at Caeserea, where the band are playing two sold out nights in the amphitheatre. 

What none of us realised beforehand was quite how revered Alice In Chains are in Israel. Grunge exploded here in the early 90s and Alice In Chains have long been regarded as one of the most influential bands in rock history, a seminal group who most Israelis never dreamt they'd get to see play in their own country. Both concerts sold out months ago, within minutes of going on sale, and the local media has been going nuts in anticipation of this huge American band finally playing concerts in Israel. No wonder the radio in our taxi yesterday was playing one of their songs! 

The band however are slightly more frustrated by events. They're soundchecking when we arrive and the vagaries of being in an historic, open air amphitheatre, with imported equipment in the heat of the Middle East means things aren't running quite as smoothly as planned. We watch for a while from seats in the arena and grab some catering in the rudimentary backstage area but decide that scouting for location shots amongst the ruins is probably the best use of our time.

Etian, the local fixer, opens up the now-closed site to us. During the day, coach loads of tourists descend upon Caeserea to wander through its archaeological streets and gaze upon where its ancient marina used to be, extending a kilometre out to sea but now lost to the waves. The ruins, columns and mosaics of the taverns, baths, warehouses and palace all tell tales, alongside the vast hippodrome which once saw chariot races for a baying crowd. In fact, the only stone inscription that identifies Pontius Pilate as the governor of Judea at the time of Christ was found here, so it's a major stop on tours of the Holy Land... yet for the next two nights we have it to ourselves.

It's somewhat surreal to be clambering over such a historic site without any other tourists or guides, and Mike and Sean from the band join us as dusk falls. The following night we complete a stunning photo shoot with the whole band in various locations around the site, the setting sun painting glorious colours across our screens. And nature is not the only light show to blow the minds of thousands of people in this fabled place... Alice In Chains deliver two nights of shows that send the crowd into raptures.

Andy roams the amphitheatre taking shots while James and I spend the first show on the mixing desk and the second up high in the gods of the amphitheatre. All around us is the smell of weed, marijuana being decriminalised for personal use and now proving to be the drug of choice - way above alcohol - for all echelons of Israeli society, young or old, rich or poor, regardless of class or education. It’s a pungent, peaceful waft of greenery that is smelled in every restaurant, street and venue that I visit whilst in the Holy Land, and, so I learn later, a joint is frequently the dessert course at almost every dinner party across all generations. 

It makes for a dreamy environment to watch the band and preferable to the long queues at the public bar that we experience on the second night, when James and Andy have to get some 'vox pops' interviews from the fans. With my ears proving somewhat sore, my ear plugs are too uncomfortable to wear so I end up side of stage for the encores both nights, partly to enjoy being close to the action and partly to escape the volume out front. It's also the ideal place to get into the waiting people carriers and do a runner with the band from the venue as the final notes of 'Rooster' ring out, before the audience all head for their cars.

It’s always a thrill to be chauffeured in and out in style, delivered from an exotic venue to a hotel front door... if only every gig could be like this!