Recommendations of the Editorial team
Curtain up and stage clear for Tucker Pillsbury, aka Role Model: The 28-year-old is currently on his “No Place Like Tour (The Longest Goodbye)” tour through Europe. In addition to Berlin, he also stopped in Great Britain, the Netherlands and France. We were there at the capital city gig.
Great fan commitment
The Columbiahalle in Berlin-Tempelhof was completely sold out. Fans had been camping in front of the concert location on November 12th since 7 a.m. and organized fair entry using a numbering system that is usually more familiar from K-pop events. And how great was the relief when the evening finally came, the entrance was managed and the right place was found!
Curtains down, enthusiasm unleashed
The explosion of anticipation became apparent when the first notes of “Writing’s on the Wall” rang out from the pitch-dark stage at exactly 9 p.m. The screaming of the fans almost drowned out the electric guitar… “It’s giving Justin,” said my colleague – I was thinking of Shawn Mendes. And the visitors were able to accompany almost all of the songs of the next 75 minutes with lyrical certainty.
Simple look for a big city
What was immediately noticeable: the stage design was reduced and centered. The band members – guitar, bass and drums – positioned themselves on a high platform in the background. In the foggy light they could only be seen in silhouette. Only during the short solos was the guitarist allowed to stand out more in the light. Otherwise, the focus was clearly on the star of the evening: role model. The fashion-conscious singer-songwriter chose a rather simple outfit for Berlin in denim jeans, a cotton shirt and brown loafers.
However, Role Model bought the joy of performing at every moment. Likewise, he liked to flirt and play charmingly with the audience. During songs like “Oh, Gemini,” he sat at the edge of the stage with a broad smile and obviously enjoyed the adoration of his predominantly female fans. The fact that he is perceived as a guy with a penchant for romance is also due to his current album “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)”, which is a lot about relationships and love.
Focus on “Kansas Anymore”
And yes, the present was clearly in the foreground during his tour stop in Berlin: the set list mainly consisted of songs from the new album. He left out older pieces from the rap periods of his career. Musically, Pillsbury delivered: He sang flawlessly live over the backing playback and demonstrated his vocal talent both in quiet, text-focused moments and in powerful shoutouts.
He accompanied most of the tracks on the guitar himself, routinely switching between concert and country/western guitar. He let the music speak for itself throughout the entire length of the concert and refrained from making any announcements. After each song the stage briefly sank into darkness without causing any confusion. The simplicity of the entire setting suited him well. And the fans celebrated every piece like a mega hit, the energy remained noticeable – despite isolated circulatory problems in the dense crowd.
“Something, Somehow, Someday” also proved to be particularly outstanding: in a sharp black and white spotlight, the singer sat alone on the stage with a book in his hand and introduced his tragic ballad with the words “it’s a story about two people and I thought they were meant to be together.” He sang and told the supposedly written story at the same time.
Loose and tested until the end
Role Model presented himself as an experienced live performer. He crooned “Feels like home, Berlin” about the city and – as the crowd is known for – brought a Sally onto the stage. In this case a fan who was able to enjoy the time very close to the musician while listening to “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”. He let emotions run high – and so he probably didn’t need to make a commitment to Berlin. He had already said everything.
Setlist
- Writing’s on the Wall
- Look at That Woman
- Scumbag
- Oh, Gemini
- a little more time
- Superglue
- The Dinner
- blind
- Frances
- Slut Era interlude
- Somebody Else (The 1975 cover)
- The Longest Goodbye
- Something, Somehow, Someday
- Slipfast
- Old Recliners
- Some protectors
- Sally, When the Wine Runs Out
- Deeply Still in Love