THE Spice Girls may have coined the phrase ‘girl power’ – but Los Angeles female punk band The Bitchfits give it a whole new meaning.

The feisty foursome have chosen Huddersfield to kick off their 22-date European tour, playing at The Parish on April 10.

They’ve become big fans of the local music scene – by looking on the Fresh Music section of the Examiner website http://www.examiner.co.uk/videos-pics/podcasts-audio/2008/03/21/bitchfits-die-die-my-darling-86081-20657988/

Guitarist Melissa Kaplan – aka Goil Von Frankenhooker – said: "I enjoyed reading through your new Fresh Music section – particularly the Kava Kava video which had great music and use of puppets! It’s not easy to give an outsider a glimpse of all the good music going on in a foreign town.

"We may not be a local act, but we’re happy to be starting our tour in town after all the great music we’ve been hearing on your site. Fresh Music is definitely looking good, especially for a relatively new venture. Most importantly, the music sounds great – and we’re excited to be a part of that."

Melissa and her fellow Bitchfits – singer Gwenn Standzbig, bassist Cherry Blow-Me and drummer Robosie – intend to rock the audience hard at The Parish.

Back in the USA, they have a burgeoning fan base and a fast-growing reputation for blowing audiences away with an explosive live shows.

Big tours in America are nothing new to these formidable ladies, who formed the group in 2003.

But this will be their first venture across the Atlantic and they are hoping to win fans in Europe and the UK on their tour, which will include dates with MDC, UK Subs, the Subhumans Agnostic Front and U.S Bombs and performances at Rebellion Punkfest in Vienna and City Invasion in the UK.

Their journey will be followed by a documentary filmmaker, who will capture them performing on stage and behind the scenes.

The Bitchfits started out as a tribute to The Misfits, horror-punk legends who began their career 30 years ago and still rock all over the world.

But they are not just another ‘tribute act’, they’ve given the music a twist all of their own and even audiences who have never heard The Misfits love what The Bitchfits put out.

Original Misfits members Jerry Only and Doyle have given their approval to what they describe as the ‘raw sexuality’ the Bitchfits bring to the Misfits’ aggressive music.

One things for sure, a Bitchfits gig is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry!

For more about the band, visit http://www.myspace.com/thebitchfits .