Role Model at Manchester O2 Ritz – ‘No Place Like Tour’

On November 13, Role Model (Tucker Pillsbury) took to Manchester O2 Ritz, bringing a splash of the US over to the UK, for the third appearance of his world tour, No Place Like Tour.

Self admittedly, before the gig I had only heard bits of Tucker’s music, the odd song here and there whenever they made appearances on my Spotify shuffle. With ‘forever&more’ and ‘Oh, Gemini’, being just a couple of notable mentions as some of his most well-known tracks, I wouldn’t have exactly called his music style ‘my kind of thing.’ Excited but unexpecting, I set off on the hour-long drive from Leeds, travelling to the background hum of the night’s support act, Matilda Mann, and getting myself ready for the night ahead with Role Model. 

Matilda Mann opened up the evening, setting the tone with her stripped-back vocals, conveying delicate and raw emotions throughout several one-of-a-kind acoustic tracks. Mann treated the audience to several unreleased tracks from her upcoming album release, Roxwell, with audience favourites including ‘Say It Back,’ and ‘Dazed & Confused.’  With anticipation for the evening already building, Matilda’s performance was the foundation for what was gearing up to be one extremely magnificent live experience.

On this cold, rainy Manchester night, Role Model set the room ablaze with what can only be described as an unexpectedly confounding stage presence, surpassing all expectations. The energy from his bouncy, countrified pop tracks (and an abundance of heartbreak-induced ballads) perfectly reflected his most recent 2024 album release, Kansas Anymore. A fun take on The Wizard of Oz, the tour radiated nostalgia and comfort, creating a space and an environment that is unique to any live performance that I had previously experienced. If there’s one thing that he knows how to do well, it’s making the audience feel valued, present, and completely indulged in the intimacies of the performance.

His well-known live performance-bit of announcing himself as numerous different artists garnered amused laughs from the audience, from The 1975, to an unexpected (and very random) Ed Sheeran, with an especially loud outcry following a ‘hey, we’re Ross Lynch,’ if you know, you know.  With a little pinch of all-American flair, the evening’s energy was palpable, seen in a sea of cowboy hats, bows, and a happy-go-lucky attitude from the crowd. You felt grateful to be there, and lucky to be in the moment of such a beautiful, magical experience.  The evening’s energy was palpable, and gave Role Model’s music a whole entirely different meaning, tied to an evening that surpassed all expectations.

In fact, if the gig had been one month earlier, I can almost guarantee that ‘a little more time,’ would have made it into my Wrapped Top 50. Right there, standing in a room with hundreds of other strangers, Role Model found a fan in me.

Role Model is set to continue his tour February 2025, in Australia. Matilda Mann is also set for an exciting month, as her new album, Roxwell, is due to release on February 28, with pre-save now available.

Words by Mia Stapleton