Nils Lofgren

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• Nils Lofgren

  Nils Lofgren has been touring for 47 years and at the age of 64 is a veteran whose musical career has included spells in Crazy Horse - with and without Neil Young - as well as an ongoing role in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Alongside this, he has also had a prolific career in his own right without gaining the level of recognition many people feel he deserves.

  This tour follows the pattern of recent years, with Nils ably accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Greg Varlotta. The sound is dominated by guitar and keyboards but also incorporates harp, mariachi trumpet and even the tap-dancing board. It is as a guitarist that Nils Lofgren excels, with a distinctive style that is both fluid and emotive. Sliding readily between hard rock riffs and soft, melodic picking Nils is a supreme technician but plays and sings with such emotional intensity that you are drawn in to each song rather than just admiring the technique.

  The set list covers the whole of Nils' career ( suits me, but I did talk to someone afterwards who was disappointed by the lack of any songs from the 3 most recent albums ) from the early days of his first band Grin through to more recent songs.

  My personal highlights were 'Rusty Gun', 'No Mercy', 'I Came to Dance', 'Shine Silently' and - most of all - the magical 'Girl In Motion', featuring Nils laying down the rhythm track as a loop on the FX pedals and then playing the most lyrical melody imaginable over the top. The addition, as an encore, of Neil Young's 'Rockin In the Free World' as a tribute to those killed in the recent acts of terrorism in Paris was apt and moving.

  As ever, Nils gave us an evening of varied material played in virtuoso style, with plenty of good-humoured, self-deprecating chat interspersed. And, as ever, Nils was straight out to the merchandise stand afterwards to chat and sign stuff. He leaves you with the impression of a very hard-working, talented guy who still loves what he does after all these years - hopefully he won't be retiring any time soon and he'll be back in the UK before too long.

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  by JohnP54

• Nils Lofgren looks pretty good for 63. He’s still got these wacky sideburns, the kind that look like cutlasses, the tip of which are threatening to perforate the cheek about an inch from the corners of the mouth. And a kind of squished top hat, like Bono circa Joshua Tree. If he is 63, he doesn’t look a day of it.

  He’s played with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, as the replacement for Steven Van Zandt, who went on to claim immortality as Silvio Dante in The Sorpranos. He played on Tunnel of Love (1987) and rejoined along with Van Zandt for the reunion tours. He played on Sprinsteen’s High Hopes, which came out this year. He’s also done stuff with Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and features on Lou Reed’s The Bells (1979).

  He’s also known for forming Grin and releasing an endless stream of solo albums. He’s a busy, busy man with his fingers in lots of pies. He’s rambling around the UK at the moment, showcasing some of his solo work and is well worth seeing.

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  by tom-lee-7

• I saw Nils Lofgren a few years ago and when I saw he was again in this country and playing at the excellent Union Chapel venue in London I was keen to see him again.

  He certainly did not disappoint and was on stage for 2 hours - just him and Greg Varlotta, a very accomplished musician and tap dancer, with Nils also joining in during his song "I came to dance". That's not to say that Nils Lofgren isn't an accomplished musician also as he played harp and various guitars and keyboards.

  He engaged with the audience with various stories relating to his 46 year music career and ended the set with "Shine Silently".

  A truly enjoyable evening which also included "Keith Don't Go". What a great start to 2015.

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  by joodywoody

• This is the third time I have seen Nils Lofgren and on this tour he is celebrating his 50th year "on the road". It is no surprise he is still as popular as his musical talent is as strong as ever. The set at the Barbican, London was over 2 hours with no interval and he also related amusing tales regarding his career and those with whom he had worked incl Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

  He was accompanied, as before by Gregg Varlotta who is also a good tap dancer(!).

  Definitely a class act and I hope to see him again. He has a particular fondness for the UK as some of his influences stem from the British music scene of the 60s.

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  by joodywoody

• Absolutely magnificent concert!!

  Nils is so talented, a multi instrumentalist, Guitars, Harp, Organ/Piano.

  Really nice interaction with the audience and he hit new heights with a tap dance routine during 'I came to dance' song. It may sound cringy but it was a masterpiece.

  What a genuinely lovely man as he sat and signed autographs and chatted with fans after the show.

  I will definitely go back to see him whenever I can.

  What a superb evening of music and entertainment>

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  by john-winning

• Fantastic show great performer one of the greatest guitarist on the planet.

  Nils is also one of the nicest guys you could meet..which we did before and after the show...total perfection

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  by Tilly60

• Saw him 3 years ago st albans arena, unreal energy,and what a musician along with greg. Showstopper is him and gregg tap dancing on a miked up board while playing I came to dance.

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  by Terrytoons

• Saw him at a bar in DC in the 1970s. Excellent show and Danny Gatton joined in for a couple tunes. I hope his new stint with Crazy Horse goes on for a while.

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  by ronj1955

• Nils had a great show in Cardiff he was in fine form with a great mixture of music anecdotes tap dancing and even a joke thrown in a very enjoyable night

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  by caerau-edwards