Smith/Kotzen, Kris Barras Band - SWG3 Glasgow, 15th February 2026

It’s amazing to think that it’s almost 4 years ago since Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and former Poison/Mr Big guitarist Richie Kotzen last graced these shores with the presence of their Smith/Kotzen project. For me, that night in early 2022 signalled a return to some kind of normality following the madness of the two previous years, when the music industry all but shut down during the pandemic. That tour was to support their self-titled debut but since then, they’ve dropped a live EP before the long-awaited release of last year’s sophomore album Black Light/White Noise. So, it was with great delight that another tour was announced to take place exactly 4 years since the last one, including a date at Glasgow’s SWG3 Galvanizer’s venue with the highly rated Kris Barras Band as support.

Considering it was a freezing cold night and a big football match had just finished a short distance across the river, the venue was busy when the Kris Barras Band took to the stage for a hard rocking 9-song set. The modern rock of ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Dead Horses’ set the bar, whilst my own long-held favourite song from the band, ‘Dead Horses’, really started to raise the heat and rattle the brocks and steelwork in the high-roofed, former industrial site. ‘Ignite (Light It Up) led to the introduction of two brand new songs due to feature on a forthcoming new album, the recently released single ‘All Falls Down’ and ‘Monsters We Made’. Barras has really taken care of his health recently, giving up alcohol and looking fit and trim, so perhaps that’s why his voice sounded better than ever, whilst his excellent band (including one of the best live bass players you’ll see, Frazer Kerslake) rocked harder than ever before. ‘Hail Mary’ and fan favourite ‘My Parade’ brought the short support set to a close but it was long enough to pique interest in the new material and a reminder of how powerful the Kris Barras Band are in a live setting. Look out for tour dates and the new album later in 2026.

As the lights dimmed for Smith/Kotzen, Bad Company’s brilliant self-titled song blasted through the PA system. Not just a part of the song as an intro. Pretty much the whole thing! As Adrian Smith appeared on the stage, resplendent in a hat and a long red scarf, it was clear to see the esteem in which he is held by rock and metal fans. For many, the affable Londoner is clearly the big pull in this project but as a longtime fan of Richie Kotzen’s solo work, I always like to watch the look of amazement on audience faces when the American unleashes his own guitar wizardry. Smith/Kotzen have never relied on past endeavours with their more established bands (Iron Maiden, Poison, Mr Big, Kotzen’s sizeable solo output), instead using live performances to promote their own music, so it was no surprise that the first three songs were from the latest album Black Light/White Noise, namely the rocker ‘Life Unchained’, ‘Black Light’ and the slightly moodier but no less rocking ‘Wraith’, a song held together by the reassuringly familiar and solid rhythm section of Julia Lage (Kotzen’s wife) on bass and drummer Bruno Valverde.

“Thanks for coming out tonight because it’s horrible out there” commented Smith in reference to the miserable weather outside. I mean, it’s Glasgow… it’s Scotland… and it’s February. Did he really expect tropical temperatures? A return to the excellent Smith/Kotzen debut with ‘Glory Road’ gave both Smith and Kotzen an opportunity to really stretch out and show their very different but equally impressive guitar chops whilst one of my personal favourites, ‘Hate and Love’, allowed the higher and more soulful tones of Kotzen’s voice to blend perfectly with Smith’s lower, more hard rock oriented voice. Very different guitarists. Very different singers. But it works so damn well!

One of the new album’s tracks, ‘Blindsided’, with a riff that really reminds me of Velvet Revolver’ led to the first single Smith/Kotzen released in 2020, the brilliant ‘Taking My Chances’. It’s the song that really set the intent for the project and continues to shine like a hard rock diamond in their live set. There was a return to Black Light/White Noise with the more mid-paced rockers ‘Outlaw’ and ‘Darkside’ and another discussion about the Scottish weather, including a Valentine’s Night meal in Glasgow where Kotzen and Lage couldn’t believe that girls were wearing skimpy dresses with no coats. “They’re tough up here” explained Smith. The paced picked up again with ‘Got a Hold on Me’ from the Better Days EP and the sludgy riff of ‘White Noise’ before the sprawling and epic ‘Scars’ from the debut album really raised the temperature with some of the best guitar solos and trading of licks that I’ve seen in a long time. Fan favourite ‘Running’ and the more frantic, almost bluesy ‘Solar Fire’ brought the main set to an end.

As previously mentioned, Smith/Kotzen are a great band in their own right, so there’s no need to play any back catalogue numbers from any of their current or previous bands. Their own music is more than enough and stands up on its own. However, an encore of Kotzen’s solo song, the wonderfully depressing and superbly moody ‘You Can’t Save Me’ and the classic Iron Maiden favourite ‘Wasted Years’ was welcomed by the Glasgow crowd, who pumped hands in the air and nodded heads in appreciation. 

Only time will tell if we need to wait another 4 years for Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen to return to Glasgow but meantime, we can relive memories of a hard rocking gig in the company of two uber talented guitarists, with very different playing styles and even more different singing voices. Smith/Kotzen delivered a slick, professional show that provided ample room for them to showboat their skills without a trace of the ego that often comes when such talents collide. They certainly helped to raise the temperature on a cold February evening in Glasgow. No coats required!

The Smith/Kotzen tour continues through the UK with shows in Southampton, Bristol and London before heading to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czechia, Poland and Sweden.