The price of Fem

Are Fem 2 Fem just another fluffy girl-band with catchy, anodyne tunes and the usual lack of clothing? Ah, no, listen closely. In their last single, "Switch", Fem 2 Fem urged women everywhere to "Switch" (and they don't mean their shade of mascara) "to the beat that's right for you". On stage, Fem 2 Fem bump and grind like Bananarama could only dream of; slinking and smooching and setting pulses racing.

Yup, we're talking sexuality propaganda here. Fem 2 Fem aim to fly the flag for lipstick lesbians. So lock up your girlfriends, chaps. The music is upbeat dance with some dodgy lyrics and catchy choruses. The sort of thing that's great to put on and bop round the flat to before you go out clubbing.

Fem 2 Fem were formed last year when musical impresario, Michael Lewis, was hanging out at a gay bar in LA. He spotted ex-model Lynn Pompey and decided to use her to front a new band. Pompey was then joined by Christina Minna (who was training to be a Christian minister at the time-I'd love to know how they persuaded her this was a quicker route to glory). The line-up seems to be fairly fluid with Pompey and Minna as definite fixtures, but, safe to say, there will be a total of five being naughty on stage at the Astoria gigs this week.

Fem 2 Fem have already alienated some of their target gay audience (and gained a new one of boyz no doubt) when they decided to give a graphic representation of the joys of sapphic love between the pages of a top- shelf magazine. Playboy pin-ups don't sit easy with radical lesbian politics; even in the Nineties.

Especially when some of them are just pretending. According to rumours, there are two lesbians, two bisexuals and two straight women in the band. Wonder which two they'll send to sit on the sofa with Terry Christian for The Word next week?

Fem 2 Fem are appearing at the London Astoria Theatre, 22-25 Feb; tickets available from usual agents, £12.

New single "Freedom of Choice" released 27 Feb