Spider Stacy
| Spider Stacy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Peter Stacy |
| Born | 14 December 1958 |
| Origin | Eastbourne, England |
| Genres | Folk, rock, punk, Celtic, Celtic rock, Celtic punk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, tin whistle, |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Associated acts | The Pogues, Kirsty MacColl, The Dubliners Dropkick Murphys astral Social Club |
Peter Richard “Spider” Stacy (born 14 December 1958, Eastbourne) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for playing tin whistle and sometimes singing for The Pogues.
Stacy left school at 16 after failing to attend regularly, and had a few jobs, including working at a carwash and as a used car salesman for nearly two years. One of Stacy's early bands was The Millwall Chainsaws, which Spider describes as more of an idea than an actual band, although they performed seven gigs within two years. The band featured Stacy on vocals and Shane MacGowan on guitar. Stacy and MacGowan had met at The Roundhouse at a Ramones concert that also featured The Saints and Talking Heads. They played some Irish rebel songs, later renaming themselves the New Republicans. This band would later form the genesis of The Pogues. Stacy had heard a good deal of Irish music growing up in London but became increasingly interested in it after meeting MacGowan.
Stacy co-founded The Pogues, along with MacGowan, Jem Finer, and James Fearnley, and appeared on all of their recordings. He is credited with suggesting the band’s original name, Pogue Mahone, which is Irish for “kiss my arse.” The band’s original intent was for MacGowan and Stacy to share vocal duties, but decided to leave them to Shane after the first performance, with Stacy opting to learn the tin whistle. Stacy still frequently contributed backing vocals and occasional lead vocals throughout his long tenure with the band. In addition, he is known for sometimes banging a pub tray against his head for percussive effect. After Shane MacGowan was fired from the The Pogues in 1991, Joe Strummer filled in for him for a short period after which Stacy assumed the role of lead vocalist. The Pogues recorded two albums with Stacy on lead vocals: Waiting for Herb, and Pogue Mahone. Stacy resumed his original role in the band since they began performing reunion shows in 2001.
Stacy has appeared in both live performances and on recordings with many fellow musicians, including Astral Social Club, Filthy Thievin' Bastards, and long-time friend Steve Earle. In 2005, Stacy performed two songs, including “Joe Hill,” with Patti Smith at the Meltdown festival. In 2007, he appeared on The Dropkick Murphys’ version of “Flannigan’s Ball” with Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners.
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