Former Siouxsie & The Banshees’ drummer, Budgie, born Peter Edward Clarke, has announced the release of his upcoming memoir this summer. The Absence: The Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer will explore the various stages, musical and personal, of Clarke’s life – including his notable 1991 marriage, and later divorce, to dark wave icon and bandmate, Siouxsie Sioux.
The memoir will launch June 5, published via White Rabbit in hardback and ebook.
Introducing the memoir from one of the era-defining drummers from the post punk scene of the late 1970s and early 80s: BUDGIE. A life that is both fabulously glamorous and a tawdry cautionary tale.
THE ABSENCE: Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer, out June 2025 https://t.co/m7dWBzKP5e pic.twitter.com/Tc6ewwGbXp
— White Rabbit Books (@WhiteRabbitBks) February 6, 2025
Budgie gained early recognition as a member of Big in Japan and The Stilts before joining Siouxsie & The Banshees. Known for hit singles such as ‘Hong Kong Garden’ (1978) and ‘Cities in Dust’ (1986), the latter band have been described as pioneers of the post-punk movement. Originally, Clarke was only hired to tour with the band, but his time with them ultimately became a defining chapter in his life and career. Remarkably, he married Siouxsie Sioux in 1991, a relationship that lasted until 2007.
The ‘haunting’ title of The Absence reflects the emotional void felt by Clarke during his boyhood, caused by the tragic death of his mother. The press release explains: “Disenchanted with art school in Liverpool, Peter became Budgie and befriended the likes of Jayne Casey, Holly Johnson, Pete Burns, Bill Drummond and other luminaries of the legendary Eric’s’ Club, before taking off for London and the big city heat of punk.”
Clarke’s story also delves into the struggles with substance abuse that have heavily impacted his life. At the core of this candid and unflinching account is his long-standing role as the drummer and co-writer for Siouxsie & The Banshees.
In a statement regarding the memoir’s release, Budgie shared his intimidation of revealing such an honest account in his life, saying, “Damned if you do, denied if you don’t. To remember, revisit and to write, was traumatic and cathartic. To be published? Terrifying! I prepared my apologies, and anticipated rejection. I received mostly love, understanding, and affection. To those still hurting from the way things were, I can only empathise.”
Elsewhere, The Absence’s highly anticipated release demonstrates the public interest in the personal lives of musicians from the defining 80s alt pop period, last seen with the hype surrounding the 2016 release of Lol Tolhurst of The Cure’s own biography, Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys.
Publisher Lee Brackstone of White Rabbit spoke of The Absence: “[title] is Budgie’s story: a native of St Helens, a crucial figure on the Liverpool scene, the only man in The Slits and then, of course, the beating heart of Siouxsie & The Banshees in their Imperial Phase in the Goth-Pop Eighties. An insider’s account of life inside a band that left a legacy like no other, this is a book that hits as hard as its author did on their most celebrated tracks and required reading for anyone with an interest in the band and their extraordinary legacy.”
The Absence is available for pre-order now.
