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It’s a band and promoters nightmare. Towards the end of a relatively short UK tour the special guests Kris Barras Band had to pull out due to Kris’ throat infection. Shame as I was looking forward to seeing Barras live for the first time.
Smith Kotzen didn’t extend their set time which is also a shame as it would have occupied the punters who having had their tickets scanned couldn’t leave the venue and return.
The coming together of a sometimes overlooked Iron Maiden guitarist (well there are three of them) and a flamboyant journeyman has been a successful partnership. Kotzen has had a fairly low key solo career and flirted in and out of bands that imploded. Here he has found his happy place.
Now two albums in they have sufficient original material without the aid of cover versions although there is the inevitable nod to Maiden with encore ‘Wasted Years’.
The closest musical comparison I can make is with seventies Bad Company and indeed that band’s signature tune played as the intro: the vibe is bluesy, soulful and muscular. And like Bad Co there’s a consistency and immediacy.
The two frontmen’s vocals blend well with Smith a good counterfoil to Kotzen’s soulful leanings.
Kotzens’ lead vocal is maybe not to everyone’s taste, sometimes like Glenn Hughes on helium, but he brings that soulful quality to an essentially groovy undertow provided by drummer Bruno Valverde and Kotzens’ wife Julia Lage on bass.
It was Lage who pranced the stage throughout looking like she was enjoying every minute and not missing a note.
Guitar wise Kotzen may be the most fluid but Smith is no slouch and again they complement each other well.
There is a high quality quotient in the duo’s material whether it’s tracks from the debut or from the latest album.
The band moved things up a notch with early singles ‘Taking My Chances’ and ‘Outlaw’ whilst ‘Scars” was outstanding with Smith really showing his mettle.
Of the new tracks the humongous riff that announces ‘White Noise’ is particularly memorable providing an excuse for more erudite fretmelting.
Get well soon Kris but that disappointment easily forgotten tonight.
Setlist:
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 / Solar Fire/ Encores: You Can’t Save Me/ Wasted Years
Review and photos by David Randall
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Power Plays w/c 16 February 2026
THE ANCIENT UNKNOWN Separated (indie)
LIZZIE REID Sweet Relief (indie)
THE HARBOURS Wide Awake (indie)
ARGOVIA Ebb & Flow (Presagio Records)
XO SOUNDTRACK Talk About Me (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 9 February 2026
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)
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