Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, The Animals were one of the top five most important bands of the British Invasion of the 1960s.
Sixty years on, founding drummer John Steel remains active with the band, today known as Animals and Friends, and is keeping the band’s legacy alive the good old-fashioned way through lots of heavy touring.
Animals and Friends were last here in 2022, and in February and March 2024, they will embark on another Australian tour.
“It may be ‘old fashioned’, but for me, touring and playing to a live audience is what it’s all about,” Steel says.
“Coming off stage after a stonking good set is a great buzz, and a little party in the dressing room or back at the hotel is always fun.
“The downside might be having to get up to catch an early morning flight or get in the bus for a several hours’ drive, but if you are in a band with a shared sense of humour, which I have, you can put up with anything because you’ve got the next gig to look forward to.”
Having played to audiences all over the world, Steel is particularly looking forward to returning to Australia.
“Well, for a start, it’s a predominantly English-speaking audience,” he says.
“I’m a working-class Geordie, so we both have a similar command of the language, which makes it easy to get across how much we enjoy being in Australia.
“The hospitality, the humour, the weather, the food, the beer, the wine.
“What’s not to like?”
As with any show the group performs, their classic hits such as The House of The Rising Sun, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, and We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place are set staples. So, what else can fans of the band expect to hear from the Australian shows next year compared to their performances in 2022?
“First up, we have a new man on board, bass player Norm Helm, who has fitted in well both professionally and personally,” Steel says.
“So, we automatically have to run through the repertoire, and this gives us an opportunity to refresh the arrangements.
“Also, Danny [Handley, vocalist and guitarist] is always ferreting about in the back catalogue and saying ‘We haven’t played this for ages’ or ‘Here’s one we’ve never done’, so there will be some of that going on.
“That said, we can never leave the stage without playing those great classics, which still stand up today.”
The upcoming Australian tour will also mark the group’s 60th anniversary, a rare milestone for any band. Steel is looking forward to celebrating in the way he knows best.
“Just to be out there doing what we do,” he says.
“Touring and playing, be it funky blues clubs or open-air festivals, or anything in between.”
The group will mark the occasion by issuing a Live in Australia CD that was recorded at their Adelaide show in 2022.
“The live album will be pressed and ready for Australia,” Handley says.
“We had a great night in Adelaide, and the recording really captures it.
“There is also a new album in the works, which we will begin recording in Stockholm at the end of March into April.”
For further info, go to: www.animalsandfriends.info
Music news
A limited-edition vinyl box set titled The Rolling Stones 7” singles 1966-1971 will be released in February.
Also coming that month is Bob Marley: One Love, a biopic of the legendary reggae music star.
Phil Manzanera, the guitarist from Roxy Music, has written a memoir titled Revolución to Roxy, which is due for release in March.
March also sees the ‘Empress of Soul’, Gladys Knight, return to Australia for one final tour.
The view from here
As 2023 comes to a close, I like to look back over this past year at the important moments in music. At the top of the list is pop princess Taylor Swift, who reigned supreme, with her re-recorded albums dominating the music charts and her Eras Tour becoming the highest-grossing tour, reportedly having earned $1 billion thus far, with the next leg of the tour set to continue in 2024. Swift capped it off by being named Person of The Year by Time magazine.
The year also saw artificial intelligence take its first steps into the music world, with artists starting to incorporate AI technology in the creation of music, as was evident in The Beatle’s final song, Now and Then. Early in the year, French DJ and producer David Guetta debuted a song using AI technology during a live performance.
2023 also saw a growing number of artists detouring from their normal style of music to release instrumental albums. One particular standout was by André 3000 from hip-hop outfit Outkast, who released a flute-driven ambient new age instrumental album titled New Blue Sun.
Maybe instrumental music becoming more popular is a reflection of the fast-paced society we live in in this post-COVID-19 world, with more and more of us wanting to focus on health and wellness and a desire to escape from the stresses that come from such a frantic lifestyle.
Interest in classical music also increased remarkably, with the genre one of the fastest growing. And what’s also interesting to note is that a lot of those listening are the younger audiences. It will be interesting to watch how these trends evolve in 2024.
With that, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year.
Fun facts
Did you know the first ever pop music CD to be manufactured was ABBA’s 1981 album, The Visitors? However, the first CD made available to consumers was a reissue of Billy Joel’s 1978 album, 52nd Street, on October 1, 1982.