Career
He is best known for playing tin whistle and sometimes singing for 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 The Talking Heads.
They played some Irish rebel songs, later renaming themselves the New Republicans. This band would later form the genesis of 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, 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 Gaelic 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 public tray against his head for percussive effect. After Shane MacGowan was fired from the in 1991, Joe Strummer filled in for him for a short period after which Stacy assumed the role of lead vocalist. 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.
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. Stacy has appeared in several movies and television productions over his career, including the Alex Cox films Straight to Hell (1986) and Walker (1986), as well as Eat the Rich (1987).
Most recently, he appeared as “Slim Jim” Lynch in two seasons of the Home Box Office series, Treme. The series, which is set in New Orleans, was co-created by The Wire creator David Simon.
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 District of Columbia Stacy’s friendship with Pelecanos later led to a 2009 performance featuring him and at The Boogaloo, a London public
Pelecanos read excerpts from his new novel, The Way Home, followed by ’ first public performance since 1983.