Instruments Welcome For Canadian Idol's Season Five Auditions

Did you watch the season premiere of American Idol on Tuesday and think: "Hey, I'm better than that guy/girl/man-child. I could be on that show."

Well, CTV wants you to get your chance. It's Canadian Idol audition time again, and they're doing things a little different. For the first time in North America, wannabe Idols can come to auditions toting musical instruments. That should make judges Farley Flex, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan and Zack Werner's job that much more painful. Ben Mulroney is also returning to host the fifth season of the popular show.

The 2007 Canadian Idol "Easy Access" tour begins its 10-city journey on Feb. 3 in Vancouver and continues cross-country, finishing up in Toronto for a series of auditions beginning on April 11.

Competitors should find it easier than ever to audition, as most of the dates are scheduled on weekends at malls. In an attempt to curb big lineups, hopefuls can show up any time between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

So if you're between the ages of 16 and 28 and you feel it's a crime that you haven't been able to share your voice with the rest of the world, head over to the Canadian Idol website to find answers to frequently asked questions, regional release forms, audition tips and a complete list of rules and regulations.

Canadian Idol will hit television screens in June. Last year, 36.4 million votes were cast by viewers and the show reached 55 per cent of the English Canadian population. Eva Avila was crowned champion in September.

Here are the audition dates for this year's Canadian Idol:

Feb. 3-4 Vancouver, BC @ Metropolis at Metrotown
Feb. 10-11 Calgary, AB @ Southcentre Mall
Feb. 17-18 Saskatoon, SK @ Market Mall
Feb. 24-25 Winnipeg, MB @ Portage Place
March 3-4 London, ON @ White Oaks Mall
March 10-11 Montreal, QC @ Triplex/Old Montreal Forum
March 17-18 Ottawa, ON @ St-Laurent Centre
March 24-25 Halifax, NS @ Halifax Shopping Centre
April 4 St. John's, NL @ Village Shopping Centre
Starting  April 11 Toronto, ON @ TBA