The Creatures

The Creatures

Company type	Musical duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1981
Founder	Siouxsie Sioux, Budgie
Defunct	2005
Headquarters	England
Products	Music albums and singles

The Creatures emerged as an English musical duo in 1981, founded by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie, both members of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Their sound initially focused on the interplay between percussion and vocals but gradually developed in complexity. In 1981, they introduced their first EP, titled Wild Things. Their inaugural album, Feast (1983), which included the UK top 25 hit "Miss the Girl", embraced an exotica style with percussion as its foundation. The follow-up album, Boomerang (1989), garnered critical praise for its fusion of blues and jazz elements; it was ranked number 184 in Uncut magazine’s list of "the 500 Greatest Albums of the 1980s".<ref> By the late 1990s, their sound shifted toward a more urban edge on Anima Animus, described by The Times as "adventurous art rock built around Siouxsie's extraordinary voice and Budgie's battery of percussion".<ref> Their final studio effort, Hái! (2003), revisited their original style while incorporating influences from Japanese minimalism. The group officially disbanded in 2005.

Their artistic contributions attracted admiration from musicians including Jeff Buckley, who recorded a cover of "Killing Time" from Boomerang;<ref> as well as PJ Harvey, Anohni, and Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy.<ref>

Formation and Wild Things EP (1981)

During rehearsals for the Banshees’ album Juju, vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie formed The Creatures in 1981. They realized that a combination of vocals and drums complemented the track "But Not Them". This discovery led them to record five songs in a studio session, which were released as the EP Wild Things. The title track was an adaptation of a well-known song by the Troggs, while the remaining tracks were original compositions. The EP climbed to No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart, accompanied by a televised performance of "Mad-Eyed Screamer" on Top of the Pops.

Feast (1983)

The Creatures unveiled their first full-length album, Feast, in 1983. They chose Hawaii for recording by randomly selecting it with a pin on a world map, featuring contributions from the Lamalani Hula Academy Hawaiian Chanters on several tracks. The album incorporated tropical and exotica influences throughout. Upon release, they graced the covers of both Melody Maker and NME. Melody Maker described it as "an album of filtered brilliance, fertile, sensual and erotic," while NME emphasized Sioux's unique vocal delivery paired with exceptional percussion work. The album reached No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart. The single "Miss the Girl", inspired by J. G. Ballard’s novel Crash, peaked at No. 21. Their subsequent single, "Right Now", originally composed by Mel Tormé, was reimagined with brass arrangements and became their highest-charting release, reaching the UK top 15.

Boomerang (1989–1990)

After a six-year break, Siouxsie and Budgie came together once more to produce Boomerang in a rustic stone barn located in Jerez, Andalucia, Spain. This album blended elements of blues, jazz, flamenco, and electronica, incorporating brass arrangements and featuring sleeve photography by Anton Corbijn. It was met with widespread critical praise; for instance, Melody Maker described it as "unexpected brilliance," while NME referred to it as "a rich and unsettling landscape of exotica." The blues-inspired track "Killing Time" was subsequently performed live by Jeff Buckley. On UK television, the band showcased songs such as "Standing There" and "You!" accompanied by a brass section on Channel 4's "Big World Cafe," and presented a reimagined version of "Pluto Drive" on "One Hour with Jonathan Ross."

In the United States, "Standing There" gained notable popularity on alternative radio stations, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and maintaining a position in the top 10 for 14 weeks. The remix of the single "Fury Eyes" by Pascal Gabriel also received considerable airplay, climbing to number 12 on the same chart. In early 1990, The Creatures embarked on their first tour across the UK, Europe, and the US, performing as a duo supported by technology and sequencers.

Collaboration with John Cale and Eraser Cut EP (1996–1998)

Following the dissolution of Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1996, The Creatures continued crafting new material. At the same time, their earlier releases—the Wild Things EP and Feast album—were remastered and compiled into the collection A Bestiary Of.

In February 1998, John Cale, formerly of Velvet Underground, invited The Creatures to collaborate during his "With a Little Help from My Friends" festival held at Amsterdam's Paradiso. This televised event featured an unreleased track by The Creatures titled "Murdering Mouth," performed as a duet with Cale. They also premiered a live orchestral rendition of "I Was Me," with Cale contributing viola. In May of that year, Siouxsie and Budgie appeared on British television's "Later With Jools Holland" alongside two bassists from Band of Susans, performing "Disconnected" and "Prettiest Thing" from their forthcoming album.

During this timeframe, they established their own independent label, Sioux Records. Prior to their North American tour, a limited edition single called "Sad Cunt" was distributed at two London warm-up shows. From June through August, they toured the United States alongside John Cale, delivering performances that included new songs and nightly collaborative vocals. The LA Times lauded the tour as an "inventive, spirited show," emphasizing the harmonious interplay between Cale and The Creatures.

Subsequently, the release of the Eraser Cut EP followed; Time Out characterized its tracks as "short, sharp, percussive and infectiously atmospheric." In October, they promoted the single "2nd Floor" with a predominantly monochrome video.

Anima Animus (1999–2002)

At the start of 1999, the Creatures unveiled Anima Animus, their first studio project in almost ten years. The album introduced a more urban vibe, merging guitars and synthesizers with electronic elements, diverging from the naturalistic tone found on Boomerang. Described by The Times as "hypnotic, inventive, and captivating," it also earned a spot in artist PJ Harvey's list of top 10 albums for that year. Notable singles included "Say", dedicated to Billy Mackenzie, and "Prettiest Thing". A reimagined version of "Another Planet" by Juno Reactor was featured on the soundtrack of Lost in Space. Additionally, limited edition live recordings Zulu (1998) and Sequins in the Sun (1999) were made available through the Creatures' official website.

In June 1999, the duo contributed to Marc Almond's album Open All Night, with Siouxsie providing vocals alongside Almond on "Threat of Love" and Budgie performing percussion. Later that year saw the release of the remix compilation Hybrids, which included reinterpretations by artists such as the Beloved.

The year 2000 brought forth the collection U.S. Retrace, compiling previously unreleased tracks from the Anima Animus sessions, featuring "All She Could Ask For," a frequent opener during live performances. Fan club members also received three separate one-track CDs: a live version of "Murdering Mouth," along with "Rocket Ship" and "Red Wrapping Paper."

Hái! and break-up (2003–2004)

In 2003, Siouxsie and Budgie returned with their full-length album Hái!. The initial drum recordings took place in Japan shortly after the Banshees' reunion tour for Seven Year Itch. Budgie collaborated with Leonard Eto, a former member of the Kodo Drummers, whose taiko drumming formed the rhythmic core of the album. The remaining recording sessions were completed over several months in France. The lead single "Godzilla!" was well-received by NME, and critical reception for Hái! was generally positive. Its opening track "Say Yes" was featured in a trailer for The Sopranos in 2004.

Siouxsie embarked on her first solo tour in 2004, maintaining Budgie as drummer and arranger. The setlists featured selections from both Siouxsie and the Banshees as well as the Creatures’ catalog. Their October 2004 London performance at the Royal Festival Hall, accompanied by Eto and the Millennia Ensemble, was captured on the live DVD Dreamshow, released in August 2005; it achieved No. 1 on the UK music DVD chart.

Dreamshow became their final collaborative release; in a 2007 interview, Siouxsie revealed that she and Budgie had divorced.

The complete Creatures discography—including albums such as A Bestiary of, Boomerang, Anima Animus, U.S Retrace, and Hái!—is accessible digitally via Spotify.

Discography

Studio albums

• Feast (1983)
• Boomerang (1989)
• Anima Animus (1999)
• Hái! (2003)

Sources

• Budgie. The Creatures Biography. The Creatures.com April 2000

External links

• Official video collection of The Creatures on Dailymotion, featuring original 4:3 aspect ratio
• The Creatures' VEVO channel – includes two videos in 16:9 aspect ratio