Review: The Animals at Freo.Social

The Animals at Freo.Social
w/ Barry Divola
Saturday, November 22, 2025

It’s not until you see The Animals live that you really understand why they sat at the crux of the British Invasion. Alongside notorious acts like The Stones and The Beatles, they were core players in bringing ’50s rock forward to the next decade of music, with soul-punching rhythm and blues and hits that remain relevant in the conversation of music sixty years post their release.

The UK band, in their modern lineup, played Freo.Social on Saturday night for the last show of their five-week Australian tour. The group seemed to warp time, as the audience tapped toes… and letting your mind drift away, it was easy to feel that the room had spun all the way back to 1964, when the band first toured.

Opening the show was Barry Divola, who entertained the crowd with throwback covers and off-the-cuff banter, keeping the early crowd engaged and attentive. His cover of Squeeze’s Up The Junction was a highlight, performed in memory of the recently passed Gilson Lavis, with a little of the drum pattern played on the body of his acoustic. Divola’s set peaked, however, with a cover of Nick Lowe’s Cruel to Be Kind, which drew the audience up to the stage for a sing-along. But the anticipation for the headline set was palpable.

At 9.30pm, The Animals opened their set with Baby Let Me Take You Home. Barney Williams, pianist, took the stage first with a solo introduction on the keys, stealing the audience’s attention before the remainder of the band walked on. The track set the tone for the night, featuring big vocals, solos that left nothing on the table, and high, high energy—three characteristics that remained throughout the entire show.

Danny Handley, honouring Eric Burdon as frontman, proved his place at the centre of the group with It’s My Life, finding the sweet spot that Burdon mastered between candid storytelling and powerful, rough tones, never reaching too far in one direction in sacrifice of the other.

On bass, Norm Helm tied the rhythm and melodic sections together in expert fashion, laying a foundation for Williams and Handley to soar over most tracks, the two improvising solos and, at times, overlapping one another. And, of course, playing besides Helm in the rhythm section was John Steel, the original drummer of The Animals, still playing sixty-two years after the group first formed. Throughout the night, Steel was steadfast, performing with an ease that said music is what he knows. And still, after a life of touring, he plays with fervour, always on top of the beat and zeroed in.

I Believe To My Soul was a highlight of the evening. Williams delivered a performance on keys and vocals that had the audience floored. His way with blues is the kind that one can only be born with. He sang with an emotion and spirit that honoured Ray Charles’ track, but without attempting to replicate it, almost amplifying it at times, performing with a hunger and a sense of desperation that was captivating.

The classics I’m Cryin’, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Boom Boom, See See Rider, The Story of Bo Diddley, and We Gotta Get Out of This Place had many on the dancefloor lapping up the satisfaction of hearing some of the greatest hits of the sixties live. Even those originally sitting at the perimeter of the venue eventually moved forward to join in the action up front.

A second track with Williams on vocals, I’m Gonna Change The World, had Handley welcome an audience member, Star, to jump up onto the stage to dance with the band members, playing air guitar with Handley and Helm before being quickly led off by the stagehand. Despite all of this, the attention didn’t drop from Williams; anytime the floor was his, it was hard to steer your attention away from him.

When the group wished everyone a good night, the audience cheered for an encore. The band returned onto the stage, with Steel taking the mic to share a piece reminiscing on the tour and their first recording of House of the Rising Sun, a track that he coined a “life-changer.” As the ominous feel of the music set in, the audience became a choir for Handley. There was emotion in the history of the music and its longevity, too, evident in the way it was performed and further in its reception. People of all generations looked up to the stage in awe and nostalgia, gripping onto the moment.

This is why The Animals never die; the music can’t be replaced—it stands on its own, always moving forward. Passed down generations, inspiring music today and satisfying those who appreciate commanding rhythm and blues that takes hold of you no matter how many times you listen.

PRUDENCE ACKRILL

Photos by Adrian Thomson