By Emma Turner
After almost a year, Tucker Pillsbury, popularly known by his stage name Role Model, made his highly anticipated return to Manchester on the UK leg of his No Place Like Tour.
Taking to the stage at the packed O2 Apollo, fans had been awaiting his arrival since the early hours of the morning. The pop singer-songwriter has been steadily rising to fame and taking over the internet with his catchy songs and his charming, witty personality.
To start the night off the night, fans welcomed indie-pop singer-songwriter Chloe Slater to the stage, who wasted no time pulling in the crowd’s attention. From the moment she appeared, the energy felt electric, with opener Tiny Screens catapulting the crowd into movement, setting the tone for the rest of her set that would be infectious and full of emotional relief.
A standout moment was War Crimes, a track that was released the day before, which calls out the UK government’s complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. An overall theme in Chloe’s work is her brutal honesty and active voice, whether that be around her own life, or political issues that need more attention – War Crimes being her most recent and most direct.
It was then almost time for Tucker – cowboy hats and bows at the ready, joined by conversations buzzing around who was going to be tonight’s ‘Sally’, a reoccurring staple of the shows where someone is brought on stage during Sally, When The Wine Runs Out.
When 9 o’clock came around, Role Model made his way to centre stage, with the lights still dim, the crowd went wild before he’d even sang a note. His sheer presence lit up the room with excitement, and the biggest grin crossed his face just seconds before the spotlight beamed onto him, kicking straight into Writing’s On The Wall.
Starting off with such a vibrant song, fans did not miss a beat, as they danced along and screamed their hearts out together, igniting an atmosphere that continued to grow throughout the night.
Made up of the most magical, dreamy moments but balanced with cathartic expression of emotion, Role Model’s concert had everything. Look At That Woman, a little more time, and Frances put the room in a trance as Tucker performed them with ease.
Fans were relieved that a little more time still made the setlist, considering that it’s an older track, but a definite fan favourite.
Guitar in hand, Tucker embraced every moment, taking in every face around the room, whether that was at the barricade or up on the balcony.
Introducing one of his favourite songs, Something, Somehow, Someday, a track he explained he can’t remember the lyrics for, so he took a seat centre stage with a notebook for him to read from. As he softly began the story of two people destined to be together one day, it felt like time slowed. It became a beautiful moment between him and the fans as they were hanging on to every word. It was clearly just as important to them as it was to Tucker.
From there, the show shifted into a shared outlet for fans, as they screamed every lyric at the top of their lungs. Tucker had mentioned earlier in the night that they were in competition with London to be the loudest crowd, and during the bridge of Some Protector, they absolutely blew the roof off of Manchester’s O2 Apollo.
Along with these moments came even more personal fan interactions. A group of girls at the front seemed to have coordinated dance moves for the majority of the songs, giving the impression that this was not their first time at a Role Model concert. A handful of signs were dotted around the standing section, which resulted in Tucker’s attempt to take photos using a fan’s camera, but of course, the one and only ‘Sally’ reveal was what everyone had been waiting for. On came a fan from the crowd to dance around on stage with Tucker, for what looked to be the time of her life.
The show closed with Deeply Still In Love, a fitting finale that united the crowd one last time. Throwing himself into every step, Tucker let the music take over, much like the audience did. before one final goodbye and an “I love you” as he left the stage.
Unless otherwise stated, Photography & Text Copyright 2025 © Emma Turner/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Olly Bailey 
Chloe Morris 
Tabitha Zaidi