Jet-black hair, porcelain skin - Betty Curse is a real living doll. She's also proof of how mainstream 'alternative' rock culture has become.

Clearly pitched at young fans, Betty is, in fact, Liverpool-born Megan Burns, a former child actress who appeared in the zombie film 28 Days Later and whose musical career has been masterminded by rock veteran Steve Ludwin (Little Hell).

This week, Betty and band are showcasing their album Hear Lies Betty Curse (Island/Universal) at this credible indie venue. It's a 14s-and-over show but all ages should relish the furiously catchy hooks of new single God This Hurts and sweetly morbid outbursts such as 'Excuse all the blood/We're just having fun'.

Amid all the raging guitars, Betty's vocals sound too clean-cut to emote any pain - and it'll be a real shocker if she attempts any Marilyn Manson-style obscenities onstage.

Obviously, this is manufactured angst, although you could apply that to rock stars from Linkin Park to My Chemical Romance. But Betty is the only one who could make a gravestone look like a really pretty accessory.

Wed, Barfly, 49 Chalk Farm Road NW1, 7.30pm, £7. Tel: 0870 907 0999. Tube: Chalk Farm