British singer Alan Hempsall was born in Levenshulme, Mancheseter, in 1960. He was educated at local primary and comprehensive schools until the age of 16, when he attended Macclesfield Art College. He formed the post-punk band Crispy Ambulance with Robert Davenport in 1977.

In April 1980, Hempsall stood in for Joy Division singer Ian Curtis at Joy Division’s Derby Hall gig in Bury, after Curtis suffered an epileptic fit.

After Crispy Ambulance disbanded in 1982, the four members regrouped as Ram Ram Kino, releasing a single. Between 1982 and 1999 Hempsall pursued his own projects. He re-formed Crispy Ambulance with his fellow band members in 1999. This second iteration of the band continued until 2004. Hempsall and the other members re-formed for a second time in 2014.

Hempsall formed the electro-industrial band Scissorgun in 2016 with David Clarkson and was involved in the Manchester-based Subliminal Impulse electronic music festival in 2019.