Smith/Kotzen - London Review

As I alluded to in my previous review here, which covered Sylosis' excellent London show last Friday, it was good to get back on the road this past weekend and take in a couple of gigs. 2026 has been somewhat barren so far, despite things picking up shortly, so the past weekend away was very much a welcome one. Multi-gig trips away are often tiring, and the later gigs can sometimes suffer from being overshadowed by the earlier ones, but they often work out well economically - and it was nice to spend a bit more time in London this past weekend. Given that I planned the trip as one, too, which is rare, I stayed in the same hotel for both nights. This meant that on Saturday I did not have to kill time between hotel stays - and it meant that I could take things easy on Saturday if I wanted to. I did head out for a bit of a walk around the East End, largely to get something to eat, but I mostly enjoyed a chill day and something of a lie-in. It was not the greatest day weather-wise, either, so I did not venture too far. It is nice to see that it has not just been the South West that has been battered with rain in recent times, though, and there was some pretty impressive flooding across the country which could be seen from the train on the way up. The weather was certainly not as bad as it had been at times of late, but it was not a nice day - and following a lengthy show the previous day some quiet was welcome. The reason for the second night in London was to catch the duo of Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and musician's musician Richie Kotzen on the tour for their second album together Black Light/White Noise (which I reviewed here). The duo often seem like an unlikely match, given Smith's staunch NWOBHM past and Kotzen's career which has taken him from being a Shrapnel-era shredder, through stints in Poison and Mr. Big, to now being something of a multi-genre singer-songwriter who is beloved by guitarists especially the world over. Despite this, though, the pair's efforts so far have been fruitful. Two albums and an EP of pretty groovy and soulful hard rock have been released - and the first album was also supported by a brief run of shows. Clearly wanting the project to build some momentum, though, this second album has been supported by a much lengthier tour - including a healthy number of UK shows in decent sized rooms. I knew that I wanted to catch the duo live, but I had not decided which show to go to - so Sylosis booking their London show for the day before Smith/Kotzen's show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire made the plan finalise itself. The fact that the Kris Barras Band, a fairly local act to me that I have followed for a few years now, was later added as the support act for the whole tour made the night an even more exciting prospect. As such, the show was one I was looking forward to quite a bit - and I had been enjoying getting back into the two Smith/Kotzen albums in the weeks prior to it. They are certainly closer to Kotzen's current core sound than much of Smith's career - but bluesy hard rock is generally something that I enjoy, and the mix of Smith's more-than-competent vocals and the soulful vocal style of Kotzen is a big part of what makes the duo an interesting one.

Sadly, though, on getting to the venue it was clear that Barras and his band would not be performing. He had pulled out of the show the night before due to illness, but with no further updates on social media during the day I had hoped that he felt well enough to play - but signs were up throughout the venue advising the crowd otherwise. A last-minute replacement has been sought, then, with local act Vieira and the Silvers taking Barras' place. Despite the doors opening at 7pm, though, the support act did not start until 8pm. Given that there was a 45 minute break between the support and Smith/Kotzen, too, there was an awful lot of hanging around. This seems to be a growing problem at gigs of late - and I would much rather doors opened later or shows finished earlier, as no-one enjoys hanging around waiting for something to happen. Vieira and the Silvers played for around half an hour, and they managed to win quite a few around despite a slow start. In terms of vibe, the band seemed to mix the proto-punk/garage rock sounds of bands like The Stooges and MC5 with the brasher end of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. There was a strong late 1960s rock vibe, alongside a blues edge and some psychedelic moments. They were probably not the right band for the gig really, but the crowd did seem to enjoy them as the set went on. The band's frontman said during the set that it was the biggest gig they had ever played - but they did not seem over-awed by the occasion. In fact, the frontman was animated throughout, often making strange vocalisations to add to the brash instrumentation - which often then led into the next lyric. Sound-wise, then, despite the obvious retro vibes, I did feel that the band sounded quite original. Meandering arrangements, plentiful harmonica, and the occasional tortured guitar solo eschewed many classic rock tropes. There was still strong riffing and grooves throughout, but each song seemed to move through many different phases - so it was tricky to get a hold of any key melodies as a result. Despite this, though, I thought that the overall vibe the band delivered was strong. They clearly want to do something different from the norm, and I felt that they delivered their off-kilter sound with real confidence - despite the big occasion for them. They are not the sort of band that I would listen to at home - but I did not dislike their half an hour on stage, and I would not be surprised if they started to make a bit of a name for themselves on the alternative rock scene in due course.

Following a rather dull 45 minutes waiting for the main event, the lights went down and some Bad Company played over the PA as Smith/Kotzen took to the stage - with the four-piece launching into Life Unchained from the latest album. Smith and Kotzen traded lead vocals and guitar all night, and were backed by Julia Lage (bass guitar/vocals) and Bruno Valverde (drums). The four-piece were tight, but there was still a looseness to the material which helped the riffing and melodies to come to life. The vocal interplay was not exactly Daryl Hall & John Oates or the Eagles, but Smith and Kotzen weaved their voices together well - and I was of the view that most of the songs sounded better live than they do on the albums. I like the albums, but I think I ended up enjoying the show more than I expected to - largely due to the live punch given to the material. The 16-song set contained 14 originals, one Iron Maiden number and one of Kotzen's solo pieces. These two covers came near the end, so the bulk of the show just presented the two albums and lone EP nicely. Early highlights included the faster, shuffling Black Light and the very Bad Company-esque Glory Road - with its smooth chorus which was boosted by some extra vocals from Lage. With the exception of the covers, no one singer dominated any song - either vocally or from a guitar perspective. The exchanged vocal lines really helps to keep the songs sounding fresh - and the differing guitar styles allowed for a lot of exciting instrumental moments. I had not seen Kotzen live before, so was immediately impressed with his playing. He is known for his fast-paced and smooth style, often without a plectrum, and he really owned the night in my opinion. This is to take nothing away from Smith, who sang well and delivered plenty of excellent solos - but Kotzen is a rare talent. This was especially apparent on an elongated Hate and Love, which was stretched out with some more soloing - whilst simpler, more straight ahead hard rockers like Taking My Chances saw plenty singing along. A couple of overly drunk people aside, who seemed keen to annoy those around them, the overall vibe was strong. Clearly there were lots of Iron Maiden fans in attendance, but the overall vibe was different. This material is more grounded and, at times, laid back - and everyone was out to have a good time with some feel-good bluesy rock. There were slower and more plaintive moments in the set, too, though such as the fantastic Darkside which was one of the overall highlights of the night. The chorus has always stuck with me since first hearing the song, and it came alive on stage with plenty of soloing. The band were suffering from some tech issues around this point, though, with Lage's bass amp cutting out. A brief break was taken after Darkside whilst this issue was fixed - but the crew managed to sort things quickly and the band were soon back out rocking, with Smith delivering some tasty slide licks during Got a Hold on Me. There was not an awful lot of time left by this point - but there was time for a few more, including the hard rocking White Noise and the smoother Running which is a favourite of mine from the first album. The main set then came to a close with a powerful version of Iron Maiden's Wasted Years - with Bruce Dickinson, who had been watching the show from the balcony, joining the band to sing it. Everyone in the crowd sang along, and it felt like the most powerful moment of the night - with the band leaving the stage briefly afterwards. A two-song encore followed, though, with Kotzen's You Can't Save Me getting a cheer and adding a downbeat, grungy vibe to the set - before a blistering rendition of Solar Fire brought the band's powerful set to a triumphant close. The setlist was:

Life Unchained

Black Light

Wraith

Glory Road

Hate and Love

Blindsided

Taking My Chances

Outlaw

Darkside

Got a Hold on Me

White Noise

Scars

Running

Wasted Years [Iron Maiden cover w/ Bruce Dickinson]

-

You Can't Save Me [Richie Kotzen solo material]

Solar Fire

Despite some technical issues threatening to derail the set part-way through, the band battled through and delivered a powerful show that exceeded expectations. I expected to enjoy the show, but this is the sort of material which really excels live. It was also nice to see Smith in a smaller venue - and also to see Kotzen for the first time. This duo seems to have legs, and I would not be surprised to see a third album and another tour at some point in the future.