Season nine 'Idol' auditions underway

Auditions for the ninth season of American Idol have got underway.

According to The AP, the first stop was near Boston, Massachusetts, where hopefuls had to endure rain while waiting in a queue that stretched the length of the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, spilling out into the arena's parking lot.

The tryouts attracted a crowd of 7,000 contenders from all over the East Coast, including New York, New England and North Carolina.

Host Ryan Seacrest said: "If you're auditioning, you want pouring rain, you want freezing weather. It makes the weak stay home."

However, it is unconfirmed if judges Paula Abdul or Kara DioGuardi were involved in selecting the contestants.

Last week, Abdul said that she was still negotiating a return to the show, while DioGuardi previously stated that she would only join the panel for one season but would be game for another year.

The Idol auditioning process moves to Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Dallas and Orlando over the coming weeks.