Just as us Brits are desparately trying to catch up with the latest series of the U.S. Showtime smash hit The L Word, it seems appropriate that we pay homage to the arists who have featured on the show past and present.

Season four saw Bette (played by actress Jennifer Beals) make one of the most extravegant displays of affection of her relationship history – a far cry from the days of “throwing flowers at it and expecting everything to be ok” (eppisode 205, Labyrinth) - but it managed to conclude the season nicely. This time, her peace offering was in the form of a gigantic industrial sign reading ‘17 Reasons Why’ which was towed onto the set by tractor, to the music of Pink’s controversial track entitled Dear Mr. President (featuring the Indigo Girls). Quite appropriate, one might suppose, considering the sorrow and desparation portrayed by Beals in the final few eppisodes. Here’s hoping the comparison of Bette’s attempted reconciliation and Dick Cheney’s rejection of gay rigths brought a cheeky wee mile to Alecia Moore’s face.

Earlier in the season, LA based electro band Shiny Toy Guns made a remarkable cameo during Shane’s (played by actress Katherine Moennig) drug and alcohol fuelled rampage down the interstate in eppisode 401, Legend in the Making. The song later made an impact on the states when Motorolla selected it to advertise their new phone, the RAZR2. The Shiny’s upheld that the decision was justified: “Their search for a perfect match of audio reflecting cutting edge technology was quickly ended as LE DISKO was embedded into all things RAZR.” (Shiny Toy Guns, September 9th, 2007)           

SHINY TOY GUNS

Season three can be credited with the rise of self-proclaimed punk/soul/experimental band, The Gossip. Eppisode 304 slipped a little Standing in the Way of Control into the mix, edited by American post-punk rockers Le Tigre. They themselves make regular contributions to The L Word soundtrack. Season two boasts not only On the Verge but also TKO - a song which also featured in the 2006 highschool comedy, Accepted.  

Finally, actress Leisha Hailey (who plays the character of quircky radio and magazine journalist, Alice Pieszecki on the show) reaps the benefits of her musical career when L Word executives decided to sneak a track onto the first season. Viewers soon discover Hailey has had vast musical experience – beginning her endevours with Academy classmate, Heather Grody in the 90s.

Above: Leisha Hailey

Incidentally, character Shane can be spotted throughout season 2 sporting a Gush t-shirt. Old skool or what?! But we love it…

Since then, we have seen the rise and fall of Gush and The Murmurs, and continue to enjoy Hailey’s talents through her curent venture, Uh Huh Her. Somehow, DIVA readers in Britain catch on a little too late to Hailey’s hidden talent when she appears on the front cover of the October 2007 edition sporting a t-shirt reading ‘Nobody knows I’m a musician’. Doh!

*note the deliberate avoidance of any mention of pop-rock-pile-o’-pish band, Betty.