Eric Burdon & The Animals

Contemporaries of The Rolling Stones and Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famers (they were inducted in 1994), The Animals have had a complex history marked by multiple line-up changes and trademark disputes. But it was always vocalist Eric Burdon who gave The Animals their distinctive growl and his voice is still in fine form (even if it does lapse into Fozzie Bear/Louis Armstrong territory on occasion). The new line-up playing this Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival show is tight: Red Young on keys is the one to watch after Burdon himself, showboating to the delight of the audience.

The big hits ‘House of the Rising Sun’ (still one of the greatest rock tunes of all time), ‘It’s My Life’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ all bring the crowd and band to life. But they never scrimp on the blues, proudly paying tribute to their roots, while their 15 minute jam of ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’ brings everything to a suitably rousing finale.