16-year-old busker Alex Spencer’s career has gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years. Now, after starting out singing on the rainy streets of Manchester, he has managed to bag himself a record deal.
You absolutely love to see it.
Young Alex from Droylsden has been entertaining passersby on Market Street and people all around Greater Manchester for some time now, and after years of graft that only a true music-loving Manc could muster, the local lad is taking the next step in his promising career.
Having made the step up from being one of many talented Manc buskers to playing plenty of proper gigs and even serenading the likes of the City squad, he has now been signed by record label Modern Sky and is set to release his first official single this April.
Credit: Alex Spencer (via Instagram)
Since stepping out of his home with a borrowed guitar under his arm as a young boy, Alex Spencer has gone from covering classics by 10CC, Arctic Monkeys and Sam Fender, to playing at the likes of New Century, Band on the Wall, Manchester Academy 3 and even in front of 20,000 at the AO Arena.
After securing an Arena slot as part of Young Voices’ ones to look out for in 2022 and even getting some airplay on Radio X, the teenager was spotted by the very same record company that launched The Lathums, Jamie Webster, Brooke Combe and even The Coral back in the day.
Now, Alex is focusing on writing songs of his own and has recently finished five for his upcoming EP, one of those being his lead single, ‘A Night To Waste’, with all of them set to be released via Modern Sky.
This, however, isn’t the first time we’ve come across Alex; The Manc Audio has had the pleasure of chatting and watching him busk on a number of occasions. This was the most recent.
We’re beyond chuffed to see how far he’s come in such a short space of time and can’t wait to see him go far — which, of course, he definitely will.
Speaking ahead of the release of his debut record, Alex said: “It’s about the life of a teenager who wants to live their life a little and get out of the same old boring suburb. It’s about enjoying a good time with your friends and reminding you that none of us have a night to waste.
“It’s the same for so many people my age, especially after all the setbacks we’ve had over the past few years with lockdowns stopping us in our tracks.”
‘A Night To Waste’ drops on 25 April 2023; we were fortunate enough to get a sneak peek and, believe us, you’re in for a treat. This boy’s going to be big, so be sure to keep up to date with what he’s got coming next.
Much-loved noodle box eatery Chopstix are hosting an all-new series of live music events, with the first kicking off at one of Manchester’s most popular venues.
Chopstix has become a foodie’s favourite in the city centre with its combo boxes and now they’re about to win over the musiclovers thanks to these brand-new live-performances.
The Asian restaurant chain is launching ‘Red Box Live’,a first-of-its-kind music event series taking place in some of the UK’s best independent music venues,, and it kicks off at one of the city’s most beloved music venues,YES.
These events will see a rising star headline slot, DJ’s, free drinks and of course, food, because it couldn’t be a Chopstix party without some of its iconic flavour-packed boxes.
Chopstix is known for serving up flavoursome feasts in their combo boxes.The Asian restaurant chain has chosen YES as the first spot for their ‘Red Box Live’ event.Credit: Supplied
Indie-pop artist Liang Lawrence is claiming the first headline spot and she’s definitely no stranger at frequenting some of the most famed stages in the country, having recently performed at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park on the BBC Introducing stage, following in the footsteps of Manc rap-talent Aitch.
The ‘Red Box Live’ music events build from the eatery’s previous music-focused series ‘Red Box Sessions’ which saw acts like Flames Collective and Grace Davies (X-Factor) in intimate studio sessions.
Rob Burns, Marketing Director for Chopstix, said: The launch of our brand new Red Box Live event series is incredibly exciting.”We’re bringing big, bold flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our flavour craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
“We’re bringing BIG, BOLD flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our Flavour Craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
Liang Lawrence will be performing at ‘Red Box Live’ organised by Chopstix.There will be free food and live music at this exclusive event.Credit: Supplied
The first ‘Red Box Live’ is taking place on 16 July with a headline performance from Liang Lawrence at YES in Manchester. Doors open from 7pm with a DJ set, and tickets are available to win for free on Chopstix’s website.
A new free photography exhibition showing never-before-seen pictures of Oasis fans from the 90s opens in Manchester next week.
With a sensational summer of sound now firmly in our sights, and right as Manchester gears up to welcome Oasis back home once again, the city’s iconic Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has announced a new free exhibition that’s set to take music fans a trip down memory lane.
Opening next Wednesday, Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 will showcase a series of exclusive photographs by renowned photographer, Jon Shard, to the public for the first time ever, opening the door to a world before online sales, dynamic ticket pricing, and frantically refreshing a website to get the hottest ticket in town.
Renowned for his visually distinctive work across a number of fields, this was Shard’s first assignment for iconic music magazine NME.
The collection of photographs – which has been co-curated by the British Culture Archive – shows scenes of fans excitedly queuing up in the cold winter of 1996, hoping to get their hands on tickets for the band’s sold-out shows at Manchester City’s Maine Road stadium.
“Queuing in person had its charm,” admitted Jon Shard.
“I felt privileged to capture the dedication of fans willing to stay out all night and brave the cold. Getting the ticket was an event itself, almost a rite of passage for fans.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 opens in Manchester for free next week / Credit: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (Supplied)
Giving visitors a deeper insight into the world of sold-out shows, as well as the magic of Oasis and their music over the years, the new exhibition will also feature a ‘Fan Wonderwall’ with archive images from 1994-97 of fans attending gigs, spanning from pre-smart phone gig-videos, through to their latest performances.
“It’s a privilege to play a part in the city welcoming the Gallagher brothers home,” commented David Lockhart, who is the General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, ahead of the exhibition opening next week.
“The photographs by Jon Shard offer a glimpse into a defining moment in Manchester’s music history, and we’re proud to share this with our guests and the city.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 is open to the public from 7pm on Wednesday 2 July on the walls of Refuge at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
At to make it even more worth the trip, the first 50 visitors to the exhibition will also receive a free limited edition zine, so they can take a piece of Oasis history home with them.
Featured Image – Jon Shard (Supplied via Kimpton Clocktower Hotel & British Culture Archive)
Danny Jones -
30th March 2023 
