Rock duo Smith Kotzen kicked off their 'Black Light / White Noise' tour in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday night (3rd February 2026), with a show-stopping turn at the city's La Riviera venue. Playing in one of their biggest rooms yet, the virtuoso pair - singer / guitarists Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen - stormed the stage with songs from their brace of albums and EP, as well as a pair of covers.
Photo; Eamon O'Neill
"What you're about to hear is real; it's not edited, or enhanced", so says the ominous playback that acts as the intro tape for tonight's show. In the current musical climate where enhancement tracks are increasingly the norm, Smith Kotzen want you to know that their performance is as live as it gets.
It's a fitting start, given that the project has seen Iron Maiden man Smith go back to his hard rockin' roots, and as the band burst onto the stage at Madrid's La Riveria, it's clear that they mean business.
It's the opening night of this tour, and the first time the band has graced a stage in almost a year, but from the off, the band completed by Julia Lage on bass and drummer Bruno Valverde, are sharp, tight, and totally on form.
Kicking off with a brace of tracks from 2025's sophomore 'Black Light / White Noise' in a hard hitting 'Life Unchained' and funk-tinged 'Black Light', SK hit their stride immediately.
This is a night of debuts, and it's clear that they've been itching to play these new songs, and as the night continues we'll get first plays of six new tracks.
Next up however, is 'Glory Road', from 2021's self-titled debut, which brings the tempo down a notch, though the atmosphere loses none of its punch. 'Hate and Love' follows, and with its contrasting solos - Smith's picked, harsher tones, vs Kotzen's fluid finger-style impossible runs, it's the perfect illustration of what makes this work so well, musically.
Vocally too, the pairs different approaches really enhance the pallet of what they can do. With Adrian's raspy blues tones, to Richie's head voice highs, they trade lines, weave in and out of verses, and harmonise to great effect.
Gazing out over the spacious venue, palm trees and all, it's Adrian who greets the crowd first, with a casual; "alright, how you doing Madrid? Nice place you've got here!"
With Smith switching to a black Gibson Les Paul from his signature Jackson, and Kotzen downing his new blue Fender Stratocaster for his more traditional Telecaster, the heavy stuff follows, with a brilliant 'Blindsided' and grooving 'Taking My Chances'.
Another newie follows, with 'Dark Side'; "a new song about being down on your luck and needing a helping hand. I think we've all been there", admits Smith. As the song ends, Adrian confesses; "I like that one", while Richie adds; "I always said that's my favourite song on the album, and I'm happy we can play it live."
It may be night one of the tour, but tonight offers a double celebration as it's Richie's birthday, and a cake is duly brought out to the bemused bluesman, as the crowd serenade him with 'Cumpleaños Feliz' - that's 'Happy Birthday', obviously!
From there it's a victory lap with a frenetic 'Running' and a stomping 'Solar Fire', before the encore which sees Riche's 'You Can't Save Me' return to the set. A killer track, no doubt, but the prospect of Smith Kotzen taking their chances on 'The Winery Dogs' 'Elevate' is just too tantalising.
Despite blatant prompts from eonmusic to unearth some buried gems from his back Maiden catalogue and beyond, the show ends on a triumphant 'Wasted Years', which to be fair, is an enduring anthem, one of Adrian Smith's greatest songs, and - as evidenced by numerous Iron Maiden tours - the ultimate show closer.
With catchy melodies, frantic fretwork, and a real rarity in a dual vocalist rock band that really works, tonight's show proved exactly why Smith Kotzen has endured where other Smith side projects have not. There's a natural chemistry to this four piece that is a joy to witness.
Don't miss the chance to catch Adrian on the smaller stage before he's back headlining stadiums with Iron Maiden later this year.
It's a fitting start, given that the project has seen Iron Maiden man Smith go back to his hard rockin' roots, and as the band burst onto the stage at Madrid's La Riveria, it's clear that they mean business.
It's the opening night of this tour, and the first time the band has graced a stage in almost a year, but from the off, the band completed by Julia Lage on bass and drummer Bruno Valverde, are sharp, tight, and totally on form.
Kicking off with a brace of tracks from 2025's sophomore 'Black Light / White Noise' in a hard hitting 'Life Unchained' and funk-tinged 'Black Light', SK hit their stride immediately.
This is a night of debuts, and it's clear that they've been itching to play these new songs, and as the night continues we'll get first plays of six new tracks.
Next up however, is 'Glory Road', from 2021's self-titled debut, which brings the tempo down a notch, though the atmosphere loses none of its punch. 'Hate and Love' follows, and with its contrasting solos - Smith's picked, harsher tones, vs Kotzen's fluid finger-style impossible runs, it's the perfect illustration of what makes this work so well, musically.
Vocally too, the pairs different approaches really enhance the pallet of what they can do. With Adrian's raspy blues tones, to Richie's head voice highs, they trade lines, weave in and out of verses, and harmonise to great effect.
Gazing out over the spacious venue, palm trees and all, it's Adrian who greets the crowd first, with a casual; "alright, how you doing Madrid? Nice place you've got here!"
With Smith switching to a black Gibson Les Paul from his signature Jackson, and Kotzen downing his new blue Fender Stratocaster for his more traditional Telecaster, the heavy stuff follows, with a brilliant 'Blindsided' and grooving 'Taking My Chances'.
Another newie follows, with 'Dark Side'; "a new song about being down on your luck and needing a helping hand. I think we've all been there", admits Smith. As the song ends, Adrian confesses; "I like that one", while Richie adds; "I always said that's my favourite song on the album, and I'm happy we can play it live."
It may be night one of the tour, but tonight offers a double celebration as it's Richie's birthday, and a cake is duly brought out to the bemused bluesman, as the crowd serenade him with 'Cumpleaños Feliz' - that's 'Happy Birthday', obviously!
From there it's a victory lap with a frenetic 'Running' and a stomping 'Solar Fire', before the encore which sees Riche's 'You Can't Save Me' return to the set. A killer track, no doubt, but the prospect of Smith Kotzen taking their chances on 'The Winery Dogs' 'Elevate' is just too tantalising.
Despite blatant prompts from eonmusic to unearth some buried gems from his back Maiden catalogue and beyond, the show ends on a triumphant 'Wasted Years', which to be fair, is an enduring anthem, one of Adrian Smith's greatest songs, and - as evidenced by numerous Iron Maiden tours - the ultimate show closer.
With catchy melodies, frantic fretwork, and a real rarity in a dual vocalist rock band that really works, tonight's show proved exactly why Smith Kotzen has endured where other Smith side projects have not. There's a natural chemistry to this four piece that is a joy to witness.
Don't miss the chance to catch Adrian on the smaller stage before he's back headlining stadiums with Iron Maiden later this year.