Peter Clarke

Who is Peter Clarke?

Peter Edward Clarke, better known as Budgie, is an English drummer. His first recording was with The Slits in 1979. He then became the drummer of the influential band Siouxsie and the Banshees and its side-project The Creatures. Budgie has also collaborated with other musicians including John Cale and Leonard Eto.

In 2013, Spin rated him at number 28 in their list of "The 100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music". Spin wrote: "Post-punk introduced a lot of amazing drummers, but none more influential than Budgie. With the Banshees, Budgie didn't just play rhythms — he played hooks and leads, brilliant parts that set the songs on fire. His tom-tom-intensive approach, [was] enlightened by his awareness of world music". Spin considers that his "most booming moment" is on "Into the Light," from 1981's Juju: "Budgie drums up a marvel of kinetic syncopation and invention".

Budgie has been hailed in 2013 by peer Stewart Copeland of The Police as one of the 16 most interesting drummers. Copeland described Budgie's playing as "very economical and offbeat". "Budgie didn’t play your standard hi-hat-kick-snare; there were a lot of tom-toms and a big throb." Ari Up of The Slits praised him as "a very sensitive drummer".