Late-night lady

CENTREFOLD MAY not seem the most controversial of girl-band names in today's world of bullet-ridden gangsta-rappers and transsexual golfers. In the late 1970s, however, it was a rather titillating prospect.

Like a Dutch version of Bananarama, Centrefold spearheaded an era where putting girls in extremity-revealing outfits and getting them to lip-synch became good business. They found huge success in the 80s touring Europe and Japan, before finally calling it a day in 1987.

'We'd play in discotheques full of guys or play for the army - because, well you know, we were three sexy girls,' says former band member Laura Fygi (pronounced Fee-Gee), who, turning 49 later this year, is used to considerably more refined settings these days. 'And they all wanted to touch you, all reaching out at you. It was a totally different show back then,' she says, breaking into one of her trademark, smoky, cheeky, laughs. You can't help but feel that you're talking to an ex-Bond girl as she purrs down the phone.

Of course these days it's all 'theatres, galas, big parties' for the decidedly un-diva like Fygi, who is set to return to Hong Kong for a performance next week, after the disappointment of her cancellation two years ago. 'It went completely wrong last time,' she says over the phone from her native Amsterdam. 'The promoter had the wrong kind of permit or something. So we weren't allowed to perform.'

When she first embarked on a solo career, Fygi surprised many people (not least a clutch of Dutch record executives) when she revealed that she had a deep love for jazz and South American music and, more importantly, could actually sing. This, combined with her Dutch-Egyptian looks, had the potential for greatness. When her former manager, Herman van der Zwan, became A&R manager at Phonogram, she was on the phone.

'He managed to convince the head of Phonogram for me,' Fygi says. 'Although, to be honest, I think it took him some persuading. He wasn't a big believer.'