LIVE REVIEW: THE ANIMALS @ TWIN TOWNS 07/11/25

Photo Sarah Gilpin

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Sarah Gilpin

The Final Curtain Tour

The Animals came to perform at Twin Towns at the Gold Coast, to bring the music of one of the best 1960s British bands to the people. The band demonstrated the force this timeless music still has on the crowd, as a diverse all ages crowd took that magical musical tour.

This review starts at the end of the show, when the original drummer for the legendary British band The Animals, John Steel, who has been performing with the band since 1957, and has spent 68 years delivering rock ‘n’ roll gigs, stepped out from behind the engine room of his drum kit.

John Steel spoke eloquently about those heady times in early 1960s Manchester, when Chess Records performed a generation-defining gig with Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon, amongst others, showing how the blues, rock and blues-jazz fusions should be performed. That gig reset the course of modern British music, with The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, and countless other young musicians taking notes at that masterclass.

He also talked about the impact of that reimaging of the Elizabethan folk song (yes written, we suspect, in the 1600s in North England or Scotland), ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, and his meetings with Bob Dylan and The Animals impact on the changes to folk music with electric instrumentation. John Steel has had an amazing musical life and career.

The Animals performance of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ was just wonderful to hear, with that distinctive guitar and organ swirling sound. It was recorded in one take in 1964, and repeated here in the live performance. The band around John Steel were first-class master musicians: the velvet voiced Danny Handley (guitar/vocals), the astonishing “boogie piano playing wizz” Barney Williams (keyboards), and rhythm master Norman Helm (bass). And, as John Steel said “they are the best version and play the music right”. They certainly did!

The Animals have a huge back catalogue of hits and great songs. The concert was split into two acts, that allowed the band to deliver two distinct setlists of hits and influences.

The first act opened with the rocker, ‘Baby, Let Me Take You Home’. The crowd was, then, transported back to 1965, with The Animals distinctive sound of ‘It’s My Life’, as Barney Williams delivered that organ sound that would underpin the music throughout the concert. It became the signature sound of the 1960s. It was wonderful to hear it. Then, the first cover of the night was delivered in Jimmy Reed’s ‘Bright Lights, Big City’, with a fantastic piano solo from Barney Williams, as the band educated the crowd about the rhythm and blues that moved and influenced The Animals. The sounds delivered was all about those foundational musical inspirations.

Barney Williams took over the singing duties, and demonstrated his phenomenal keyboard skills with the Ray Charles’ cover of ‘I Believe To My Soul’. Then, the band played my absolute favourite song by The Animals, and I think one of the most enduring songs of that mid-1960s sound, ‘I’m Crying’. It was so good!

The Animals then went into performing the very famous songs that they covered in the 1960s, like Sam Cooke’s gospel classic, ‘Bring It On Home To Me’ and then ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and ‘Big Boss Man/High Heeled Sneakers’, where The Animals British treatment of the songs exposed their DNA in their rock’n’roll roots.

The first act was closed out with the cover of Nina Simone’s original ‘Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’, where The Animals delivered the song in their signature style, where those Barney Williams’ keyboards added the crucial hook around Danny Handley’s vocal delivery. Magic!

There was an intermission, as the all-ages crowd scattered to get the drinks in. Then, the house lights went down, and second act began.

The Animals really relaxed into this second half of the concert, as they launched into the jazzy blues of ‘Inside Looking Out’. It was an extended mix, where they wrapped in samples from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Summertime’, and demonstrated the band’s skills with instrumental solos from each musician. It was so well done.

Then, more rockin’ blues classics followed, in Lightnin’ Hopkins cover ‘My Baby Don't Stand No Cheating’, before the band changed their delivery style. John Steel and Danny Handley stopped and talked to the crowd about bringing down the set to perform some quieter acoustic songs that really meant something to The Animals, and had helped set the band on their musical journey all those years ago.

A chair was brought out, and Danny Handley sat with his acoustic guitar to play Muddy Waters’ absolute classic ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’. The Animals talked about the sounds, the special guitar riffs, and the personalities of the times in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Danny Handley explained to the crowd how Barney Williams had two weeks to learn to play the harmonica, “on the plane”, to deliver these songs, as he played ‘Waltzing Matilda’ in the background. He did a great job.

There were touring stories about the bogan Grandma from Bankstown, with her special dance routine, who just wanted them to play “the rising sun – you c**ts”. Someone should have warned them about Bankstown. Then, stories about the gig at Airlie Beach that our photographer attended – apparently not the best experience. It was funny. Then, Barney Williams took over the vocal duties and performed ‘I'm Going To Change The World’.

The end of the regulation set was here. The Animals covered the superior Brill Building song by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’. It is a song with a huge history in Australia. Then, the encore of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ had everyone out of their seats.

The Animals put on a great concert, and the band delivered their classic songs with a vitality and energy that belies John Steel’s seven decades behind the drum kit, being the heartbeat of the band. The Animals lit up the Twins Towns venue, with their career highlighting blues-rock hits, and classic rock sounds that have earned them fame since the 1960s. It was wonderful to witness this musical feast that was a delight for the ears and the eyes.

NB: Just a note of thanks to the sound and lighting crew: the visuals and sound were really good. Thanks to the promoter for the smooth delivery of the concert, the merch and for allowing the band to be so generous with their time meeting fans.