Bob Noxious knows how hard it is to find band members. In the decade since he founded the punk rock band Pig Pen, the lead guitarist (whose real name is Bob Addington) has gone through 40 musicians. For the last two months, his band has held auditions for its newest vacancy, a vocalist.

"The singer is the hardest person to replace," Noxious says. "A singer has a distinctive trademark sound. It's not like a guitarist."

While scouring the Tampa Bay area for talent, Noxious has learned a few things about finding bandmates. He says Pig Pen uses the Internet exclusively to recruit new members. When Noxious formed his outfit in 1996, a handful of local music websites with classified listings popped up. Sites like coffeestain.com and realitysnap.com offered musicians an efficient way to navigate the talent pool. These days, Noxious leans toward Craigslist and MySpace.

Of course, there are disadvantages to blindly posting an ad in any public sphere. Noxious says the band has gotten its share of freaks responding to the ads.

"The talent pool is shady to say the least," he says. "Maybe we have too high standards. Maybe not low enough … We even have a song — 'Pig Pen' — that chronicles our worst audition ever."

Noxious says there are several character traits that make for a good band member — open-minded, a quick learner, manageable ego — but the first step is actually getting people to show up for the tryouts, something that has plagued the current audition process.

"You'll find musicians have an excuse for everybody," he says, frustrated.

Pig Pen bass player Jon Also nods in agreement. "They'll come to us with interest," he says. "Then they'll kind of flake out."

In the past two weeks, 17 aspirants bailed, forcing the band to cancel three of its four audition dates at Apple Studios in Oldsmar. The no-shows are more than disappointing; they're costly. Each two-hour block reserved at the practice space costs $30.

At the only successful audition date, two middle-aged singers showed, but neither impressed the group.

"We used to put out ads and get people in their 20s," drummer Andy Stern says. "I just don't see either of them as a frontman."

One of the singers makes Noxious nervous; the other seems like he doesn't have enough experience. The band also worries about agendas.

"I think a lot of good singers have a message they're trying to get out," Also says. "We're about putting out a good time and not to make a statement."

But faced with few choices, the band might settle for second best. Drummer Andy "Monkeyboy" Stern proposes a tiebreaker: "So, which of the two singers would you rather see naked."

At deadline, Pig Pen still lacked a singer.

"Come on out," Noxious implores area musicians. "We're open to pretty much anything, but you have to fit the part."

And, of course, show up.

Fall Arts 2006: Choose Me