It’s been a whirlwind 16 months for Model/Actriz, who’ve been touring extensively in support of the debut album they released at the beginning of 2023 after seven years amassing a cult following in their local Boston and NYC scenes. Dogsbody was introduced audiences across the globe to the group’s unique blend of industrial noise-rock and no-wave dance music (or “freak punk”), which reaches its purest form in a live setting as vocalist Cole Haden slinks through the crowd backed by the clamorous sounds of the band supporting him.
With plenty more international tour dates planned for the summer including festivals spots and headlining sets, the band is giving us a behind-the-scenes look at their recent trip to Barcelona for their inaugural appearance at Primavera. Narrated by Haden and drummer Ruben Radlauer, the photo diary documents the chaos that permeates the band on-stage and off.
Cole: Right before every show we hold hands and say “grace”—as in, we count down from three and say the name “Grace” in unison.In theater, we’d be saying “merde,” or “break a leg,” but this is our way of blessing our time on stage.
Cole: Our set was at 2:30 a.m., so I’d pounded, like, four Red Bulls by the time we went on and this is kinda what my sense of vision felt like. This captures the feeling in the crowd, also. It’s hard to know how a festival gig will pan out until the moment arrives, but their energy did not disappoint!
Ruben: 4 a.m., staying comfy.
Cole: Even though we finished playing around 3:30, I was glad there was plenty to do around the fest still, post-show. Spain goes hard, and I had so much fun dancing. Seemed like most everyone who was at Primavera that day was vibing until sunrise. However, I called it for myself after I saw people putting on sunscreen again.
Cole: Lots of dancing post-set. Go Padres.
Cole: Eleanor, yay! I don’t remember who we were seeing here, but I remember a sick flip of “Satisfaction.”
Ruben: 🤟🤚🤚
Cole: I’m a fan of the guy who brought a baguette into the venue and let me hold it briefly during our set. For those few seconds, that was my emotional support bread. Cheers to that guy, and I hope to see him again. If he’s reading this: Make sure you bring the baguette to the next show, please.
Cole: Our set at [Sala] Apolo was my favorite of this tour. Many times I would say a show is “good” when we feel like we played well and had an enjoyable time, but what sets some shows apart from the rest is a kind of mysterious synchronicity that blankets the room. At least this was a special one for me, and I felt moved interacting with the crowd.
Cole: Mandy, Indiana!
Ruben: We love Eric.
Cole: This is our truly beloved and invaluable manager, who’s been working with us since 2019—long before we ever could’ve imagined ourselves playing Primavera. He’s been our strongest champion and greatest emotional support all along the way, and every time he’s able to join us on the road we enjoy providing him a unique environment to answer our emails from.
Cole: This is the purse I bring onstage which holds my props for the show, and this usually consists of: lipstick, a gua sha stone, sunglasses, perfume, and herbal throat spray. My friend Miranda gave me this keychain of her rabbit, the late Tony Stein. I love it so much. RIP Tony.
Ruben: Where da magic happens.
Cole: I don’t know what happens in guitar world…by the face Jack is making it looks like he maybe found a banana in his case, or a phone charger.
Ruben: More magic happening.
Cole: The magic of M/A requires a lot of tape.
Cole: My hair looks really good here, wow. The microphone I’m holding is the one I take out into the audience. I’ve had it for so long and it’s so crusty now, OMFG. It looks orange because the wire cage has rusted over. I feel like my mom bought it to go with the karaoke machine we had growing up, like 20 years ago, and after I took it to use for M/A shows I just haven’t gotten around to swapping it. I tend to be a sentimental person, and I’ve carried this piece of shit microphone through so much that it now symbolizes and holds the memories of every place we’ve played up to now. That’s why I keep her around.
