Words @killer.solo.music
The Final Curtain? Apparently not. Original Animals drummer John Steel returns to KillerTube with six decades of rock ‘n’ roll history, a few surprises and absolutely no intention of slowing down.
I spend most of my life surrounded by blast beats, screaming lunatics and guitars tuned somewhere near the Earth’s core.
But before all that beautiful noise, there were The Animals.
The bastards helped lay the foundations for the heavy music I love, and more than sixty years later, they’re still kicking.
Last time I spoke with original drummer John Steel, we were discussing The Animals’ farewell Australian tour.
Well, that aged like milk in the Australian sun.
They’re coming back.
Naturally, I asked John what happened to the whole farewell business.
“They asked us to.”
Fucking brilliant.
And apparently, another Australian tour is already being discussed for 2027.
We went digging through rock ‘n’ roll history, from Chas Chandler’s instincts behind House of the Rising Sun to his later adventures with Jimi Hendrix and Slade.
Then came jazz, John Coltrane, Elvin Jones and John’s wonderfully uncomplicated approach to drumming.
“I still don’t practice to be honest.”
Imagine casually admitting that after sixty years behind the kit.
But John understands something a frightening number of musicians forget.
“If it doesn’t rock or it doesn’t swing, it doesn’t mean a thing.”
There’s your masterclass. No invoice required.
We also discussed Amy Winehouse, the bizarre experience of hearing somebody absolutely murder a song, and took a hypothetical trip back to Newcastle in 1963.
This isn’t some bloke desperately clinging to yesterday. It’s living, breathing rock history, still having a laugh and still getting behind the drums.
The Animals return to Australia from November 6, including The Gov in Adelaide on December 2, before wrapping up in Perth on December 4.
And apparently, saying goodbye is harder than it looks.
Watch my full interview with John Steel below.
This is the gospel.
I bite crowd surfers.
Killer.
