Iron maidens

They may have failed to get anywhere the near the top 50, but that doesn’t mean lesbian metallers Rockbitch aren’t capable of grabbing the headlines.

Particularly in Wales where their mission to “reclaim the cunt” has the likes of the Reverend Peter Wood frothing at the mouth.

“This is a challenge to the values of the whole of Western Society,” says the man in charge of Newport’s Summerhill Baptist Church. “It’s important we don’t just dismiss these people and their views as a joke. It’s actually very dangerous.”

Thanks to Wood’s protestations, the English outfit were banned from playing last week in both Newport and Cardiff.

“How can a cunt – the place where we are all born from and the source of such incredible pleasure for everyone – be a bad thing?” counters lead guitarist Babe. “Everybody who comes to see us goes away saying that we don’t need to be so sexually explicit in our live act. But our album, stage show and the fact that we love having sex with our fans, is merely an extension of our lifestyle. We all live together in a commune in France and we believe in liberating people through free and open sexuality. We’re not in this to sell records – we’re here to promote our alternative lifestyle.”

Coming on like an oestrogen-laced Chilli Peppers, Rockbitch have just put the finishing touches to their Psychic Attack album, which is being made available through their own co.uk website. The Reverend Peter Woods might not like it, but we suspect thousands of adolescent boys and girls will.