From Stones to Springsteen, there’s only ever been one Nils Lofgren



Guitarist Nils Lofgren, left, on stage with Bruce Springsteen at Leeds Arena on July 24, 2013. (picture by Mark Bickerdike)


Monday 19 October 2015



Nils Lofgren has been one of the greatest rock musicians on the planet for nearly four decades.

He is a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen’s legendary E Street Band, a prominent player on several of Neil Young’s best-selling albums and close enough friend of Lou Reed to share a beer in his New York apartment.



The cover of Nils Lofgren's classic Cry Tough album.



But this guitarist’s guitarist is also one of the most modest people in the business, as Sheffield audiences will soon discover when he comes to the City Hall.

Talking to this hugely-respected musician at an unfeasibly early time of the morning at his home in the USA, he says: “My wife Amy designs T-shirts for me and usually comes along on tour.

“She will probably be on the merchandise stall at the City Hall. I’ll be there afterwards, too. I’m always happy to chat and sign autographs.

“This is a down home, old school, grassroots tour.”

It’s 7.30am US time when I ring Nils at his home in the western part of Scottsdale in the heat of Arizona, but he’s been up for an hour already.

“When I get off the road I like to get up early to walk the dogs,” he says. “I wake up with the sun and get going early.”


Readers who are fans of Bruce Springsteen will recognise this much-travelled, virtuoso musician from the occasional show The Boss has performed in Yorkshire.

Nils is usually the one in the bandana stage right of Bruce, while fellow guitarist Little Steve Van Zandt is the one in the bandana stage left.

I tell him I saw him with Bruce and the band at Manchester City FC’s ground a couple of years back during Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour and that were even better than they had been when I first saw them on stage almost 30 years earlier, at Roundhay Park on that glorious day in 1985 when Bruce brought his Born in the USA tour to Leeds.

Interesting outfits you were wearing at that time, I add.


“It was the 1980s, there was all sorts of crazy fashion going on,” laughs Nils. “I remember being on the runway which went into the crowd. Touring became a bit of a circus in those days. We all have more wisdom now.”

As part of my research I had read that Nils, a born and bred Rolling Stones fanatic from his teenage years in the mid-1960s, had encouraged Keith Richards to ask Ron Wood to join the band, rather than himself, after the departure of guitarist Mick Taylor in 1975.

I dismissed it as the sort of thing you would say, until Nils starts to explain the whole lengthy saga in person.

“When I heard the Stones were auditioning I was excited, but the first thing that popped in my head was that my friend Ron Wood was perfect for the job,” he says.

“It didn’t seem possible at first because he was in The Faces, so Ron gave me Keith’s number. I did call Keith, who said I was welcome to audition, but it never happened, because Ron had a change of heart and decided to leave The Faces.


“I’ve met Keith many times over the years and he’s always very gracious and nice to me.

“As for the thing about him not liking the song I wrote, Keith Don’t Go, I can’t speak for Keith, but to me that’s rubbish.”

Now a still youthful-looking 64 years old, Chicago-born Nils hit the ground running as a young musician in rock music’s golden heyday.

That is him credited playing piano and guitar on Neil Young’s classic After the Goldrush album in 1970.

Anyone who thinks Nils’s own solo career can be boiled down to Cry Tough, his classic album from 1976 with its spangly blue-tinged cover shot of the cool young man as a hot guitarist, should think again.

When you throw in his abilities as a singer and obvious gifts as a songwriter, it is no wonder.

Face the Music, an amazingly comprehensive box set of his solo releases which came out last year, included a whopping nine CDs.

It is also no surprise he has ended up working with so many other legends over the years, even co-writing songs on Lou Reed’s cult 1979 album, The Bells.

But his memories of that brief partnership hint at something more than simple talent or versatility as being the key to his high standing and lengthy success.

Nils says: “His producer Bob Ezrin put us together. Our intention was to write songs together rather than play. We ended up coming up with about a dozen we liked, some of which ended up on one of my albums.”

Famous for being, er, one of music’s ‘strongest’ characters, if the legend is to be believed, Lou was a bit of an awkward customer at best.

But Nils dismisses the myth in such a casual fashion it makes you think again.

“Myself and Lou got on well,” he says. “We drank together in his New York apartment in a spectacular fashion watching NFC games.

“I’ve never worked with anyone awkward. If they were, I would just walk away.”

With 25 solos albums to chose from, fans are in for a real feast of music when Nils arrives at Sheffield City Hall next month, accompanied by his special guest, multi-instrumentalist Greg Varlotta.

Nils says: “I love my solo career. I wouldn’t be happy to be the boss of a band every day of my life. There’s a lot of issues bound up in that I’m happy not to deal with.

“I’ve always felt like I won the musical lottery at an early age.

“I’m not sure about what it is, but I believe in some higher power not of my own making.

“It’s been a great journey in music and it’s still exciting to me. I love it all.”

Nils Lofgren plays Sheffield City Hall on Thursday, November 5.

For tickets, priced from £32.50, call 0114 278 9789, or visit www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk


http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/what-s-on/music/from-stones-to-springsteen-t...

I'm seeing him on Sunday week.  Aside from his musical talent, he's a really nice guy too.

Gazza wrote on Oct 19^th, 2015 at 5:43pm:

Saw his show last year in Vegas. Excellent, unique performance. Tells great stories and after the show is very happy to sign autographs and take pics.....Hey Gaz, any chance you can ask him when his other band plans to tour. 

sweetcharmedlife wrote on Oct 20^th, 2015 at 10:46am:


I asked him that when I first met him in November 2006 (Bruce was doing the Sessions tour at the time elsewhere in the UK). He told me there were 'no plans' to work in the near future. 

They started recording 'Magic' about three months later.  I would imagine he's advised to give the same 'stock' answers.

He is truly one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Some of the things he does are truly mind blowing.

Very enjoyable night. He's such a nice guy, too.

Posted several pix on facebook, so no need to put 'em all here (plus I had to stop taking them after a while)  Here's a few.









I also shot one song on video. Naturally, it had to be "Keith Don't Go"