Lincolnshire band The Houndogs audition for Britain’s Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli

A band of brothers has finally taken the plunge and auditioned for a television talent show to boost their fan base.

The Houndogs have been performing together for 20 years and are well-known for their energetic antics and setting fire to instruments.

Keen to bring their rockabilly style to a wider audience, the three brothers applied to appear on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent and were thrilled to make it through enough rounds to perform in front of the celebrity judges.

Eagle-eyed viewers caught a glimpse of the Wilson brothers during the first episode on Saturday night but the band is now waiting to find out if their full audition will be shown on screen.

Guitarist Robert Wilson said: “People have been telling us for years that we should apply and we finally decided, why not? A band has never won Britain’s Got Talent before but we just wanted to get ourselves out there in front of a wider audience.”

The Houndogs first applied to take part in October last year. Their first audition took place at the Manchester Central Convention Centre in front of a show producer and one other person. Unable to take their full equipment, it was a vastly condensed version of what the band would normally perform but they made it through to the next round.

Their second audition was judged by four producers and they then submitted a video for the third round before being told they would get to perform in front of Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli.

Their final audition took place at The Lowry in Manchester.

Not wanting to give away too many secrets before the audition is aired, double bass player Ian said: “The songs we performed weren’t fully our choice. The producers gave us an idea of what they wanted and there was a bit of compromise on both sides, but it was something good and I feel it captured our style and what we are about.”

Robert added: “We had more fire going on than usual and tried to fit as much into two-and-a-half minutes as possible.”

Fans will have to wait until the audition is screened to find out what the judges thought, but Robert said Ant and Dec loved their performance, describing the Geordie presenting duo as “really down-to-earth guys”.

He added: “Our goal was to just get on audition shown on the telly.”

The band, who grew up in Holbeach Hurn but now live in Pinchbeck, Weston Hills and near Stamford, say it was a long filming process but hope the exposure it brings will pay off.

Drummer David said: “We were exhausted by the end. It was a 13-hour day and it’s hard to keep up that level of energy for all the filming and interviews and the actual audition.”

Ian added: “I believe we’ve got something to give and hope this will open up more doors. We bring people a bit of joy with our music and we just want to lift their spirits.”

The Houndogs are not the only local act, vying to impress either. Lucy Heath and her dancing dog act The Trickstars appeared in the first episode.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV1 this Saturday (April 27) at 7.30pm. The winner will receive £250,000 and a spot on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.

If they win the band would spend the money on new equipment to record an album.

Anyone wanting to catch The Houndogs in action can see them at The Boulevard Club in Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, tonight (Friday, April 26) at 8.30pm. Tickets are available from www.wegottickets.com/event/616838 priced £10 plus a booking fee.

They are also available to book for private events through Stamford-based music agency Bands For Hire, having previously worked with DG Music in Oakham.

They perform a selection of their own songs alongside covers by the like of Elvis, Buddy Holly and The Stray Cats.