Burdon rocks Israel — no misunderstanding

David Horovitz 

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Concert review

Cancelation? What cancelation? It’s his life, and the veteran Animals vocalist did what he wanted, in stomping grandpa style

Turns out, he was just a boy who’s intentions were good. Clearly, he had just been misunderstood. Because here in the flesh, following local fave T-Slam’s opening act at a jam-packed Zappa Shuni Amphitheater in Binyamina, was Eric Burdon.

Less an Animal, more a stomping grandpa with a comfortable paunch, Burdon belted through a tight, blistering mix of greatest hits and newer recordings Thursday night, and was plainly enjoying himself from the get-go. The relentless death threats that led his manager to announce two weeks ago that he’d be canceling this Israel trip? Not a mention. The subsequent cancelation of that cancelation? Not a word. Just a big smile from behind his shades at the start, a “thank you, you’ve been a great audience” at the end, and half a century’s controlled musical mayhem in-between.


The Beatles and Stones contemporary, who’s now 72, was backed by a fine band of mainly veteran players, with Eric McFadden notably adding acoustic guitar flourishes to songs Burdon’s been singing since the 1960s. After opening with the appropriate “When I Was Young,” they gave us the anthemic “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” fairly early on, Burdon punctuating the latter with a rap about “no more war” and “why can’t we live together” and “praying for some peace in this world.” This was not an Israel-Middle East war zone addition, but a familiar part of the Burdon showcase, a theme that he underlined by wearing a black t-shirt bearing the international peace symbol.

“It’s My Life,” another classic, and one that Bruce Springsteen used to turn into a veritable epic, was short but very sweet. Indeed, because the Binyamina late-night noise regulations meant Burdon barely had an hour on stage, most of the songs were taut and tight, and the better for it.

He did find time for a blues interlude — which moved from “Crawling King Snake,” via “Baby Please Don’t Go” to “Before You Accuse Me” — and proved his voice is pretty much intact. And his recent “Riding on the Bo diddley Special” meandered enticingly along.
Turns out, he was just a boy who’s intentions were good. Clearly, he had just been misunderstood. Because here in the flesh, following local fave T-Slam’s opening act at a jam-packed Zappa Shuni Amphitheater in Binyamina, was Eric Burdon.
Less an Animal, more a stomping grandpa with a comfortable paunch, Burdon belted through a tight, blistering mix of greatest hits and newer recordings Thursday night, and was plainly enjoying himself from the get-go. The relentless death threats that led his manager to announce two weeks ago that he’d be canceling this Israel trip? Not a mention. The subsequent cancelation of that cancelation? Not a word. Just a big smile from behind his shades at the start, a “thank you, you’ve been a great audience” at the end, and half a century’s controlled musical mayhem in-between.
The Beatles and Stones contemporary, who’s now 72, was backed by a fine band of mainly veteran players, with Eric McFadden notably adding acoustic guitar flourishes to songs Burdon’s been singing since the 1960s. After opening with the appropriate “When I Was Young,” they gave us the anthemic “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” fairly early on, Burdon punctuating the latter with a rap about “no more war” and “why can’t we live together” and “praying for some peace in this world.” This was not an Israel-Middle East war zone addition, but a familiar part of the Burdon showcase, a theme that he underlined by wearing a black t-shirt bearing the international peace symbol.
“It’s My Life,” another classic, and one that Bruce Springsteen used to turn into a veritable epic, was short but very sweet. Indeed, because the Binyamina late-night noise regulations meant Burdon barely had an hour on stage, most of the songs were taut and tight, and the better for it.
He did find time for a blues interlude — which moved from “Crawling King Snake,” via “Baby Please Don’t Go” to “Before You Accuse Me” — and proved his voice is pretty much intact. And his recent “Riding on the Bo diddley Special” meandered enticingly along.