"At first it was just called Singer-Songwriter Night," laughs Louise Havell. "Then Komedia came up with Sugar And Spice but that was a terrible idea because people thought it was a reference to the Spice Girls.

So we went with SheBang - although I've since been reminded it's a Ricky Martin song."

When Havell first hit upon the idea of staging a Brighton female singer-songwriters' showcase, it had little to do with the spirit of sisterhood and lots to do with her desire to wangle a gig at Komedia. It was, she understood, easier to promote a night with a theme - attractive group photo, headline Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, job done.

But as she set about organising the billing - she and her band will be joined by Emberhoney's hypnotic theatrics, Cathryn Stone's grainy country and Alice Shaw's belting harmonies - Havell realised there might be something in this after all.

"When I first approached Komedia they didn't know quite where to bill me, which I took as a real compliment," she explains.

"I've always tried to get away from that whole sweet-voiced, acoustic guitar-playing image and this was an opportunity to pick up on other female acts which were quite ballsy - to show there was more grit to us than people might think."

Havell's own music is an accessible combination of folk, funk and Latin which pairs Moloko's sassy danceability with Portishead's chilled-out fuzz. Her vocals, too, are pure Beth Gibbons.

Some of tonight's acts she knew from previous billings but the eventual selection was based on her interest in the diversity of local songwriting, in "all the weirdy ways that people sing".

"Alice has just got the most unbelievably powerful voice," Havell enthuses. "And she's such a little girl. An incredible energy comes through when she's booming. Her set-up's great because it's her, a piano and two backing singers who put in these really lush harmonies. It's great to see the three women on stage, and they just don't need anything else.

"Cathryn also has an amazing voice - it's gritty and ballsy but she hits those notes bang on. Emberhoney, the other band, have that whole burlesque thing which will bring a bit of theatricality to the evening. Their songs are sparser and slower to unravel."

Starts at 8pm, tickets cost £7/£5. Call 01273 647100.