Spider Stacy | |
|---|---|
 Spider Stacy in New York in March 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Richard Stacy |
| Born | 14 December 1958 Eastbourne, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, tin whistle |
| Years active | 1977–present |
Peter Richard "Spider" Stacy (born 14 December 1958) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for playing tin whistle and sometimes singing for the Pogues. [1]
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. [2]
Stacy co-founded the Pogues, along with Shane MacGowan, Jem Finer, and James Fearnley, and appeared on all of their recordings. [3] He is credited with suggesting the band's original name, Pogue Mahone (the actual Irish spelling being "póg mo thóin"), which is Irish for "kiss my arse". The band's original intent was for MacGowan and Stacy to share vocal duties, but Stacy decided to leave them to Shane after the first performance, opting to learn the tin whistle. [4] 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. [5] After Shane MacGowan was fired from 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. [6] Stacy resumed his original role in the band when they held reunion shows in 2001. [5]
After the Pogues' break-up, Stacy briefly formed a new band, Wisemen—soon renamed The Vendettas—which included ex-Pogues Andrew Ranken and Darryl Hunt (as well as Kavus Torabi of The Monsoon Bassoon, Cardiacs and Gong). Stacy has also appeared in both live performances and on recordings with other musicians, including Astral Social Club, Filthy Thievin' Bastards, and longtime 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. [7] In 2015 Stacy teamed up with Cajun music band Lost Bayou Ramblers to perform Pogues songs under the name Poguetry in Motion, later shortened to Poguetry. In 2018, he was joined by original Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan. In February and March 2020 Poguetry played an eight-date tour of the US. [8]
Stacy has appeared in several movies and television productions, including the Alex Cox films Straight to Hell (1986) and Walker (1986), as well as Eat the Rich (1987). [9] [10] Most recently, he appeared as "Slim Jim" Lynch in two seasons of the HBO series Treme . The series, which is set in New Orleans, was co-created by The Wire creator David Simon. [11] Several Pogues songs had been featured on The Wire, and Stacy was introduced to both Simon and The Wire/Treme writer and novelist George Pelecanos backstage after a Pogues performance in Washington, D.C. Stacy's friendship with Pelecanos later led to a 2009 performance featuring The Pogues at The Boogaloo, a London pub. Pelecanos read excerpts from his new novel, The Way Home, followed by The Pogues' first pub performance since 1983. [12] [13]
In 2010, Stacy and his wife Louise purchased a home in New Orleans. [11]
The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982, as Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". Fusing punk influences with instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, Irish bouzouki, cittern, mandolin and accordion, the Pogues were initially poorly received in traditional Irish music circles—the noted musician Tommy Makem called them "the greatest disaster ever to hit Irish music"—but were subsequently credited with reinvigorating the genre. The band later incorporated influences from other musical traditions, including jazz, flamenco, and Middle Eastern music.
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was a British-born Irish singer-songwriter, musician and poet best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He also produced solo material and collaborated with artists including Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, Sinéad O'Connor, and Cruachan. Known for his exceptional songwriting ability and his heavy alcohol and drug use, MacGowan was described by The New York Times as "a titanically destructive personality and a master songsmith whose lyrics painted vivid portraits of the underbelly of Irish immigrant life".
The Popes are a band originally formed by Shane MacGowan and Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness, who play a blend of rock, Irish folk and Americana.
Red Roses for Me is the debut studio album by the London-based band the Pogues, released on 15 October 1984. It was produced by Stan Brennan, who had managed the Nipple Erectors/The Nips and Rocks Off Records shop in London.
Caitlín O'Riordan is a British musician. She played bass guitar for the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello as well as Bush Tetras and several other projects. She uses the name Rocky O'Riordan on social media and for her Sirius-XM radio show, The Rocky O'Riordan Show.
Hell's Ditch is the fifth studio album by The Pogues, released on 1 October 1990, and the last to feature frontman Shane MacGowan as a member.
Waiting for Herb is the sixth studio album by the Pogues, released in 1993, and their first without lead singer Shane MacGowan.
Peace and Love is the fourth studio album by the Pogues, released in July 1989.
The Nips are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 as the Nipple Erectors by punk artist Shanne Bradley. They were Shane MacGowan's first musical group.
James Fearnley is an English musician. He played accordion in the Pogues.
The Snake is the first album by Shane MacGowan and the Popes, released in 1994 by ZTT Records. It peaked at No. 37 on the UK Albums Chart. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
"Haunted" is a 1986 single by The Pogues. It was featured on the Sid and Nancy Soundtrack, the original soundtrack for the movie Sid and Nancy. It reached chart position #42 in the UK. Originally sung by Cait O'Riordan, in 1995 the song was re-recorded as a duet between former Pogues vocalist Shane MacGowan and Sinéad O'Connor for the Two If by Sea/Stolen Hearts soundtrack, this time reaching #30 in the UK. The original version was included on disc 1 of the 2008 compilation "Just Look Them In The Eye And Say... POGUE MAHONE!!"
Pogue Mahone is the seventh and final studio album by The Pogues, released in February 1996. The title is a variant of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse", from which the band's name is derived. It was the band's second studio album recorded after the departure of Shane MacGowan, and features Spider Stacy in the role of lead singer.
"Tuesday Morning" is a song recorded by English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band The Pogues, released in 1993 by WEA as a single from their first post-Shane MacGowan album, Waiting for Herb (1993). It was the band's last single to make the UK top 20, and the first single to feature Spider Stacy on vocals. The song itself was composed by Stacy. It reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and also culminated in their last performance on Top of the Pops. It is also their most successful single internationally, peaking at #11 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The accompanying music video featured clips from Pogues videos from down the years.
The Best of the Pogues is a greatest hits album by The Pogues, released in September 1991. The album was dedicated to the memory of Deborah Korner.
Poguetry in Motion is an EP by The Pogues, released on Stiff Records in the UK on 24 February 1986, and in the US & Canada on MCA Records. It was the band's first single to make the UK Top 40, peaking at number 29 and the first Pogues recording to feature Philip Chevron and Terry Woods.
The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in King's Cross, London in 1982, as Pogue Mahone – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic póg mo thóin, meaning 'kiss my arse'.
Essential Pogues is a greatest hits album by The Pogues, released in November 1991.
Dylan Robert Walshe is an Irish folk music singer-songwriter. Born and raised in southeast Dublin, he is based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has toured with Flogging Molly, Avatar, The White Buffalo, The Mahones and recorded with James Fearnley of The Pogues.
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