By Tine Roycroft

FingerCuff, a talented and energetic band that’s been around since 2000, is rocking your Thursday and Sunday nights this summer with live band karaoke that’s guaranteed to make everyone ~ from the warblers to the practiced “Glee” fans ~ feel like the next American Idol.

But if you’ve seen one scrolling blue screen with lyrics, you’ve seen them all, right?  Wrong.  But what separates FingerCuff from the pack of instrumental-track-carrying DJs?

“The people who come to see us get to rock out with a live band and live out their dreams,” Noel Nickerson, MC and lead vocalist, says. “If someone goes into a verse too soon, or someone gets mixed up, our live band plays to the singer as opposed to a recorded track which just keeps going so everyone knows you messed up. I also help with the vocals, so if you’re a little off tune, I can help you.”

FingerCuff is made up of Noel Nickerson, John Nickerson on guitar and vocals, Tom Curley and Mark Keane on bass, and Neil McNulty and Greg Prendergast on drums. On Thursdays, FingerCuff heads to the Angry Ham in Framingham where, according to Nickerson, people take their karaoke quite seriously. Now every other Sunday, the band brings the house down at Worcester’s Lucky Dog, where people are just out for a relaxed, fun time.

Though the crowd types vary, one thing stays the same ~ a love of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’” Journey.

“Everybody loves that song,” Nickerson laughs. Despite repeated requests “…to hold on to that feeling,” the members of FingerCuff always treat each singer’s request with great respect and enthusiasm. Still, when not at a gig, Nickerson confesses to hitting the scan button in her car whenever the song comes on the radio.

FingerCuff can play over 170 songs, but they constantly update their book and learn new songs to keep each night fresh. Aside from their club gigs, FingerCuff puts together great private or corporate events for birthday parties or company functions. Or you can sign up for their Rockstar Boot Camp for a personally tailored rock n’ roll time.

“We give you a whole experience,” Nickerson explains. “We work with you to create an entire set of songs. You attend practices in our studio and you experience the process of being in a band. At the end, you’re a rock star.”

For more info, go to www.fingercuff.net.