Spider Stacy (Peter Richard Stacy)

Born: December 14, 1958 in Eastbourne, England
Instruments: Whistle, Harmonica, and Vocals

Peter got the nickname "Spider" from a girl friend when he was 12 because of his angular body and liquorice legs. After being expelled from school when he was 16 he had all kinds of jobs. He was even a used car salesman without having a driver's license.

In 1976 Spider became part of the punk scene when he heard The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. His first band was the New Bastards, where he filled the role of drummer. In 1979 he formed another band called The Millwall Chainsaws with Ollie Watts (drums) and Matt Jacobson (bass). Spider was the singer and after a while Shane MacGowan began filling in on guitar. Once they were the opening act for The North London Invaders, who later changed their name to Madness.

The Millwall Chainsaws became the prototype to what was going to be Pogue Mahone and later The Pogues. Inspired by The Dubliners they renamed themselves The New Republicans, with Shane as the lead singer, and they played one gig at Richard Strange's club Cabaret Futura. The audience started pelting them with chips, so the management pulled the plugs thinking the band was from the IRA.

A year later Spider joined a new band with Shane (vocals, guitar), Jem Finer (banjo), James Fearnley (accordion) and John Hasler (drums). Having their first gig the other the group had to decide on a name. Among the names considered were The Men They Couldn't Hang and The Noisy Boysies, but Spider came up with Pogue Mahone, gaelic for kiss my arse.

Spider and Shane was going to share the singing, but at Pogue Mahone's first gig Spider behaved so badly that the rest of the band wanted to get rid of him. Shane persuaded them to let him stay if he learned to play the tin whistle and borrowed a suit. In 1991 when Shane left The Pogues the former Clash singer Joe Strummer filled in on lead vocals until Spider became the front man in 1992. Spider was on "sick leave" when The Pogues split up in 1996. He is trying to get a solo deal.

Spider appeared on Shane MacGowan's first solo album "The Snake" (1994) and is also a guest on the second, which will be released in 1997. He sang on LILT's charity album "For The Children" in 1990.

Many thanks go to Orjan Folcke and Firehazard for their invaluable help with these biographies.
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