Speaking on the Turned Out A Punk podcast, the Generation X singer reflected on his time travelling with The Sex Pistols and Siouxsie and the Banshees throughout the 1970s.

Recalling a specific gig in 1976, Idol explained how a trip to Paris with the two bands almost led to a violent incident due to Sioux wearing a swastika.

The ‘Rebel Yell’ singer said: “Siouxsie was wearing her night porter gear, where she had the swastika on, and she was driving these left-wing French people crazy because they didn’t really get that it’s a performance art kind of thing.

“They just thought she was – because they were practically communists – they were thinking she was an anti-communist and they didn’t realise it’s part of punk performance art.”

Idol recalled how the audience members in Paris were “really upset by Sioux’s decision to wear the swastika as a fashion statement”, saying: “We sort of escaped across the stage. Pistols had come up across the stage and we went backstage to escape from the audience. They were getting really upset.”

The use of controversial symbolism was a constant theme throughout the punk scene, with Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols most notably often wearing swastikas as a statement against authority, as well as fashionista Vivienne Westwood including inverted crucifixes in her designs.

Although this symbolism was big in the UK scene that Siouxsie Sioux and co. were used to, Idol explained how cultural differences between London and Paris at the time led to the anger: “They just didn’t understand the sort of London fashion performance art aspect of punk. We were reflecting back on the British society what they were doing to us by wearing these sort of political symbols.”

He concluded by saying: “It was kind of a reflection back on the powers that be. ‘This is what you want us to be? You want us to be fascist? Oh, how about we dress like that to frighten you?’ And it worked.”

Speaking in the 1991 Jon Savage book ‘England’s Dreaming’, Siouxsie Sioux explained her personal reasoning for the use of swastikas in the punk movement, saying: “It was always very much an anti-mums-and-dads thing.

“We hated older people. Not across the board, but generally the suburban thing, always harping on about Hitler, and, ‘We showed him’, and that smug pride. It was a way of saying, ‘Well, I think Hitler was very good, actually’; a way of watching someone like that go completely red-faced.”

Billy Idol, who turns 70 this November, recently released his first album in over a decade. Hitting the shelves last month, ‘Dream Into It’ includes collaborations with Avril Lavigne and Joan Jett. Check out the full album below.

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.