Role Model
Eventim Apollo, London
3rd November 2025
Photography by Izzy Reeve (@izzymayv)
Izzy Reeve
I’m a London-based music photographer and occasional writer and I love documenting gigs and people enjoying them. Having just moved back to London from Scotland, where I first started shooting concerts, I’m looking forward to exploring what the scene down south has to offer with CLUNK! From new acts to festivals, I love what clunk champions and I can’t wait to get started.
Role Model makes his triumphant return to London to celebrate his rise to popstar fame, with a little help from Lewis Capaldi
The Eventim Apollo roof very nearly lifted right off at the opening night of Role Model’s ‘No Place Like Tour’. Hailing from Maine, Role Model – AKA Tucker Pillsbury – had what felt like a homecoming party back in London, almost a year after he first performed the album ‘Kansas Anymore’. Now, the deluxe album ‘Kansas Anymore: The Longest Goodbye’ has taken off with sleeper hits one after the other, leading a palpable excitement for Role Model’s pop ascent and the crowd to queue for hours at doors before his return to the UK.
Where’s my Sally tonight? Following in the footsteps of Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Charli XCX and many more at Role Model shows across the states, Lewis Capaldi was the legendary guest star who boogied onto stage for the role of ‘Sally’ in the country-pop bop ‘Sally When The Wine Runs Out’. It was the cherry on top of the cake for the one of the loudest, most danceable concerts I’ve ever been to. The setlist took us through all the stages of heartbreak, from the yearning ‘Frances’ and ‘Slut Era Interlude’ to the sunny ‘Look At That Woman’ and ‘Deeply Still In Love’, keeping his breakup (somehow) upbeat.
The band went by a few different names, jokingly referred to as Tame Impala and Imagine Dragons. They turned into The 1965 after performing a rendition of the British band’s hit ‘Somebody Else’. It’s rare to see a cover successfully become synonymous with the cover artist; with an additional ripping guitar solo and a swinging flair to the iconic The 1975 song, it’s had a new lease of life. It’s the perfect accompanying track to Role Model’s more recent pivot to refreshingly self-aware pop.
With emotive songwriting, fun, catchy hooks and a giddy stage presence, with shouts of “shit, I’m having fun!”, Role Model had an infectious joy beaming from the stage. Even for the quiet, wordy ‘Something, Somehow, Someday’, a song that required a notebook for Tucker to remember the lyrics, a chair and a spotlight, the audience were reciting every word. My ears were ringing after the cathartic ‘Some Protector’ and its dramatic bridge of self-doubt only to be hollered at top volume: “Am I guilty? Am I sorry? Am I dragging this forever?”. After having it as an earworm all summer, it felt good to shout it out of my system.
From his beginnings as a rapper, to channelling his inner Kasey Musgraves, Role Model has cemented himself as a pop star, comfortably finding his sound and riding on a wave that feels unstoppable. If you can find a ticket to one of the upcoming shows, head along to see the joy for yourself.
Photography by Izzy Reeve (@izzymayv)