Tribute Bands or the real thing

Got a copy of the local newspaper the other day and was really pleased when I opened it up to find one of my favorite 60's groups "The Animals" is playing at the local town hall in October.
In fact "The House of the Rising Sun" is one of my favorite songs of all time.


I'm a big fan of some of the great British 60's bands and these are one of my favorites so I read on. Actually it turns out the group is actually called "The Animals & friends". Ok I realise it wont be all the origional line up (Chas Chandler died in 1996) but surely 2 or 3 of them will be there.

Read on and the article tells me actually two of the origionals are there John Steel the drummer and keyboard player Mick Gallagher. Hang on I thought wasn't the keyboard player Alan Price so I checked and of course I'm correct, Gallagher actually replaced Price for 3 months only in 1965 before been replaced himself. He later became known as part of Ian Drury's Blockheads but thats another story.

So actually only one of the origional line up is there and thats the bloody drummer. I mean can you imagine the Animals without Eric Burdon on vocals or Hilton Valentine on lead guitar I can't. Its like The Stones without Jagger & Richards, The Kinks without the Davies brothers, The Who without Daltry & Townsend.

I reckon its actually a tribute band and at £17.50 a ticket I think I'll go to the local Karaoke instead.

And just to remember the proper line up :-