The multifaceted Alan Price, whose remarkable career trajectory was marked by his simultaneous involvement in multiple musical endeavors, alongside a steady job as a tax inspector. It was during this time that he, alongside Eric Burdon, would embark on a series of nocturnal adventures, traversing the city's clubs with an air of swagger reminiscent of a classic Western. Eric would sit in with the band, his soulful voice pouring forth as he crooned the blues, while Alan would accompany him on the piano, thus laying the groundwork for the Alan Price Combo's burgeoning R & B nights at the esteemed Downbeat club in Newcastle.
The inaugural performance at the Downbeat club drew a modest audience of six patrons, yet word of the Combo's infectious energy and Alan's virtuosic piano playing quickly spread, precipitating a surge in attendance. By the next evening, the club was packed to capacity, with approximately 600 enthusiastic fans packing the venue. The Combo's exuberant stage presence, replete with wild antics, would soon earn them the moniker "the animals" among their devoted followers.
In 1963, the Animals, as they had rebranded themselves, made the bold decision to relocate to the larger Club A-Go-Go. It wasn't long before their star ascended, with their rendition of House of the Rising Sun, inspired by Alan's discovery of Bob Dylan's album, shooting to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, cementing their status as a force to be reckoned with in the music world.
