Manchester singer says 'it’s happening' as he's set to play at City match tonight

'Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing it'

A Manchester singer who recently toured the UK with a top rock band is set to perform at the Etihad Stadium tonight during the City game.

This summer, Alex Spencer, who made a name for himself busking on Market Street, was announced as a support act for The Black Keys, who are known for hits like Gold on the Ceiling and Lonely Boy. The American duo's tour included a big homecoming show for Alex, who is originally from Droylsden, at Castlefield Bowl as part of the Sounds of the City series of gigs.

Now, he’s adding another big music moment to his portfolio by performing during Manchester City’s match at their home ground this evening against Bayer Leverkusen. Alex will perform pitch side at the match, which kicks off at 8pm, and will play two songs in front of the 55,000-strong crowd. He says that it’s a big moment for a diehard City fan.

“You know, I’ve been a Blue my whole life,” he tells the Manchester Evening News. “My dad was a Blue, and the generations before him too. He used to show me old gig clips from Maine Road and the Etihad, and that’s where the dream started. From busking as a kid on the streets of Manchester, my biggest goal was always to play the Etihad. And now that it’s actually happening… I still can’t wrap my head around it.”

Alex said that he still can’t quite come to grips with the opportunity - as well as everything else he has been able to achieve over the last year. Last year, the 18-year-old had a track feature on the soundtrack for the EAFC 25 video game. The game, formerly known as FIFA, is a big seller with 2023's edition being the highest selling videogame in the UK with 2.25m copies sold.

Earlier this year, Alex released his third EP titled 'Where Do We Go From Here?', and has five songs which have surpassed 100,000 streams each on Spotify alone - including Nightmare, with close to 750k streams. Last week, he released his latest single Masks, which is the first tease of his next EP, which is set to be released next year. As well as his show tonight, he'll play his own gig at Manchester Academy 2 in February.

“We’ve worked so hard these last few years, and seeing it slowly pay off means everything,” he adds. “Manchester City have supported me since I was a youngster, and now we’re playing a pre-match gig at the stadium. Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing it.”

Earlier this year, Alex spoke to the M.E.N about how his time busking in Manchester city centre six years ago helped establish himself as an artist and hone in on his musical abilities. He said: "If I never went out busking I’d never be here where I am now. Busking taught me some amazing skills, it helped me build my stagecraft and the confidence I have now. I learned how to deal with different crowds, and cater my performance based on that."

Tonight’s City match will be a big one for Pep Guardiola's squad as they hope to continue their unbeaten run in Europe this season. If they win the game this evening, it will be their third Champions League home wins out of three matches. The match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1.

Ahead of this evenings match, a travel warning has been issued across the city due to a number of events taking place. The Bee Network said there are six upcoming days where travel services are expected to be busier than normal, including today.

You can follow Alex Spencer on Instagram here.