The Animals come to Australia riding 60 years of fame for 'House of the rising sun'

Original drummer John Steel (lower right) with the current touring musicians in The Animals.

It's a rugged winter's day at John Steel's home, 50 kilometres north of Newcastle-on-Tyne, as he looks out on the North Sea to his east and the Cheviot Hills to his west. But he's called it home since 1977, confessing to becoming "a country boy" long ago.

Steel, age 82, will leave the cold north for the sunny climate of Australia in February, to play the drums for The Animals on their final "greatest hits" tour of Australia.