The Absence

A look inside the heart of a drum god and a behind-the-scenes exposé of one of the most iconic bands in music history – TERRI NUNNGiven how devoted Budgie was to obliterating himself, and given that the people surrounding him were either unwilling or unable to communicate, it seems miraculous that his memoir exists at all, still more miraculous that the writing is so present, so lucid, and so tender. We feel exactly what it was like to be caught up in the stomach-lurching post punk whirlwind of the late 70s/early 80s. His mother’s devastating early death became a kind of engine for his life, propelling him forwards into creativity and exhibitionism even as it held him back emotionally. Lyrical, affectionate and often painfully raw, The Absence is the literary equivalent of what Budgie does behind the drums - the one place, as he says, where he ‘can’t fake it’. Nothing is faked in this vivid hymn to vulnerability, damage and excess, and the haunting, unforgettable music that came flowing out of it – RUPERT THOMSONThe Absence lays bare the burden of overcoming guilt, shame, loneliness and the search for validation through art and music - the salves to the universal wounds. Beautifully written, brutally honest, a travelogue of self discovery by one of the most unique artists still reaching new levels of musical experimentation – LYDIA LUNCHHaving had the blessing of sharing a stage with Budgie, I was immediately struck by both his power and precision and simultaneously his nuanced, sensitive artistry of what he didn’t do in the spaces in between beats: in the absence. Budgie’s writing is similar to his musical magic. He writes with a gentle fearlessness, honesty and deep awareness. This book is an exploration of the mystery of the absence, for that’s where the magic happens – LITTLE ANNIEAt the heart of The Absence is Budgie’s decades-long romance with Siouxsie Sioux, which is both dazzlingly extraordinary and heartbreakingly familiar. Their relationship, burnished by fierce musical talent and harmonious collaboration, is also saddled with complex band politics and savaged by addictions fed by the seductive glare of success … but even during their most shocking excesses, it’s a compassionate, relatable love story of a boy who lost his mother meeting a girl who lost her father, pursuing the optimistic hope of finding unconditional, uncomplicated love – MIKI BERENYI

Peter Clarke (Budgie) was born in 1957 in St. Helens in the Northwest of England. He studied Fine Art at the Gamble Institute and at Liverpool College of Art, before taking a sabbatical in 1977 to join a band… or two. He is known internationally for his unique style of drumming on ‘The Slits’ debut album, Cut (1979), and as writer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, with both Siouxsie And The Banshees (1979 - 1996) and The Creatures (1981 - 2004). Self-taught, his influences range from Ringo to Rothko (via Ravel). Budgie was described by John Cale of ‘The Velvet Underground’ as a ‘musician’s musician’. He lives in Berlin, Germany with his wife, two children, three cats, and a Giant Schnauzer.