Chris Moyles has come out with arguably one of the worst takes we’ve heard in a long time after he said he doesn’t play new music because he believes “most unsigned musicians are crap”.
Oh dear, Chris…
Speaking on his self-titled morning show on Radio X last week, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ and industry veteran was trying to defend criticism that he doesn’t play enough new music.
Despite insisting that “that’s not what [his] show is about”, which may have been reason enough to stop the conversation there, Moyles decided to double down and share his opinion on the wider music scene.
Shocking from @ChrisMoyles . ‘Most unsigned bands are crap’. Don’t call yourself a DJ when you’re not interested in discovering new music. Outed yourself once again as a completely insipid half-wit. Video @thereyton69pic.twitter.com/SRqdZkBd0b
Responding to his listeners, he said: “the real reason is, and this will blow their tiny minds and they’ll hate this, the reason why we won’t play unsigned bands is because — and there are exceptions to the rule — but the main reason is that most unsigned bands are crap. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”
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To absolutely no surprise whatsoever, the 48-year-old is being absolutely rinsed, with his claim being labelled everything from “shocking” and “ridiculous” to “an embarrassment”, not to mention several declaring him a “self-indulgent pr*ck” and insisting that he should “hang [his] head in shame”.
Moyles has always been somewhat of a divisive figure, even hinting at his Marmite-esque reputation whilst appearing on I’m A Celeb at the end of 2022, but most people seem to be in agreement on this one: it’s a pretty ignorant and callous take.
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Artists and music lovers across social media have come out to rubbish the ill-thought-out judgement. Even station colleague John Kennedy had to make sure people knew these were solely the opinions of Moyles and not necessarily that of Radio X.
Chris Moyles claims most unsigned bands are crap. I’d say most signed music is generic and crap these days and they have the leverage to be put out there that unsigned bands don’t. Every band/artist starts out unsigned and has to graft to even be noticed. Don’t piss on their fire pic.twitter.com/S4JZfsIOss
The first, most obvious thing to state is that every band or solo act was once an unsigned musician and, as countless pointed out, without exposure from the likes of radio DJs some of the world’s greatest ever artists may have never come to be.
Scottish four-piece The Lutras were one of countless to state their disappointment, issuing the following statement on their Twitter:
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“Very disappointing to hear. No wonder up-and-coming bands struggle to get any airplay at all when the people who are supposed to be scouting them are saying they’re mostly crap and complaining about it. Rotten attitude. Chris Moyles, sort it out or f*** off”
Beyond his knowledge and opinions on music, many have also come out to suggest that the Leeds-born disc jockey has said plenty more upsetting things than this in the past, highlighting numerous controversies that many may not be readily aware of. Warning: it makes for rather unpleasant reading.
He spoke publicly about having sex with Charlotte Church when she was barely 16. He called women dirty whores on air and had been obsessed with Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud for years. pic.twitter.com/GVZjiBxXf8
— Malicia Dabrowicz (Vanadian Avenue) (@cocamidemea) February 20, 2023
Fuck Chris Moyles. unsigned artists tag yoselves and post your music below, big up eachother n check out ma tunes while you're at it, love 🤟🏾 Indie & DIY til I die ⚡
Fortunately, back here in Manchester, our music-loving city is still doing its best to spotlight up-and-coming talent as it should.
Mayor Andy Burnham recently handed out the inaugural ‘Artist of the Month’ award to The KTNA in January, crucially giving them that very same air-time on BBC Radio Manchester that Moyles seems so quick to overlook.
Furthermore, music legend Johnny Marr and The Salford Foundation Trust recently gave local lad John Denton and his band, The Height, a huge boost in their fledgling music career too.
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Don’t look down on people trying to make it, be more like these legends.
Featured Image — Chris Moyles (via Instagram)/Radio X (via YouTube)
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James Morrison is BACK with new music and coming to a beautiful Manchester venue
Danny Jones
Noughties favourite James Morrison is back with his first new album in six years and is putting on a small handful of special shows in a select few cities to celebrate, with Manchester being one of them, and tickets are going on sale next week.
With five records to his name over the course of a career spanning more than 20 years, it may have been a while since we’ve heard his instantly recognisable and raspy vocals, but he’s making his return later this year with his sixth studio LP and this limited run of live performances.
The Rugby-born singer-songwriter, acoustic guitarist and one-time regular in the pop charts enjoyed a successful period in the 2000s, even collaborating with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Demi Lovato, Olly Murs, Kelly Clarkson and more.
Having just announced his latest project, Fight Another Day, which is scheduled for release this autumn, we’re looking forward to seeing him not just back on stage but at a truly beloved and beautiful Manc music space.
My new album ‘Fight Another Day’ is out 03/10/25, and I’ll be going on tour this September. Pre-order the album here https://t.co/1ycLwUTETo to get early access to tickets, with pre-sale starting 10am on 04/06/25. I hope you enjoy 'Fight Another Day', my first single, out today pic.twitter.com/Ud6YKziGXd
Morrison, now 40, said of his latest music: “When I leaned into how I was feeling, that’s when the songs started coming. I started writing about what I was going through. My own struggles with myself. Every day being a bit of a battle. Trying to eke the light out after what felt like darkness for ages.
“I’m really proud of the album in terms of the creative, sonic elements and how I dealt with truthful stuff. But also it’s an album of songs that hopefully make you feel better and make you nod your head and stamp your feet and singalong.”
“It just sums up what the record is. It’s about reminding yourself what’s good. About convincing yourself you’ve got enough strength to keep the fight going”, he went on to add.
Having helped co-produce the entire thing with the likes of two-time Ivor Novello winner, Eg White; Daniel Merriweather, Connor Reeves and Andy Platt (Young Gun Silver Fox), fingers crossed it’s everything fans are hoping for.
As for the gig venue itself, the ‘Broken Strings’ and ‘You Give Me Something’ singer will be coming to Manchester’s grand Bridgewater Hall in September.
A historic and truly iconic place. (Credit: The Manc Group)
With just three other shows confirmed – Birmingham, Symphony Hall on 23 September, Glasgow, SEC Armadillo (24 Sep) and a night at the London Paladium (28 Sep) – Manchester can count itself lucky to have been chosen for these intimate evenings.
As for the album itself, Fight Another Day is due to drop on 3 October and is available for pre-save/pre-order right now; those who do so will gain access to the pre-sale window, which opens at will open at 10am next Wednesday, 4 June.
General admission to see James Morrison in Manchester city centre goes live at the same time on the following Friday (6 June); you can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.
Meanwhile, for those unaware of the venue itself, find out more down below.
A brand new grunge and hard rock festival is kicking off in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester grungers, hardcore heads, and fans of all things rock, pay attention because there is a brand new festival coming to the city centre – and it has possibly the best name for a live music event we’ve heard in some time.
Ahem… let us introduce you to Broken Knees Fest.
Yes, donning a name that feels increasingly more relatable the closer we get to the wrong side of 30, Broken Knees Festival 2025 marks the inaugural edition of Manchester’s newest series of rock and grunge gigs, helping spotlight rising artists across the genres from within two crucial grassroots venues.
Very loud music inside tightly-packed, small-capacity rooms? It’s a winning formula that never fails. It’s about time we broke a sweat – here’s hoping the knees just about hold out.
Hosted in the heart of the Northern Quarter, which continues to thrive as a creative hub for new music and art of all forms, the festival will be debuting at small-cap favourites Gullivers and Castle Hotel just across the road.
As you can see, the lineup is full of up-and-coming talent within the guitar-driven space, but you can bank on more than a few bringing their die-hard fans to fill the place out to the rafters.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer punk, hardcore, grunge or another specific sub-genre found somewhere in between the ever-sprawling rock spectrum, there’s something to suit all alternative tastes at this one.
With the likes of Bohmen, Mavis, One Dimensional Creatures and Smother headlining the first-ever iteration of the festival across four stages, you can expect plenty of energy and even more noise.
Set up by the events group of the same name, Broken Knees Promotions, who help platform rock and alt acts across Greater Manchester and beyond year-round, this is more than just a festival: it’s a grassroots celebration through and through.
Best of all, if you’re interested, you don’t have to wait long because it’s kicking off next month.
Gigs go off in here. If you know, you know… (Credit: Audio North)
Broken Knees Fest 2025 is happening on the weekend of 21-22 June, and you’ll be glad to hear that, as a brand new event, prices have been kept nice and low.
The early bird window had prices starting from just £12, and although this tier has now sold out, day tickets are still only £15 while a full weekend pass will set you back £25.
Until then, why not dive into another load of new Manchester music? We round up artists from all genres each month; we’ll also confess to leaning slightly more towards the heavier stuff from time to time.
Danny Jones -
20th February 2023 
