The Ting Tings frontwoman, 25-year-old Katie White, was trying to play the D chord on her guitar, but kept getting her fingers in the wrong place.

Her band partner, 29-year-old Jules de Martino, thought the "false" note that she made sounded brilliant. They used it to compose a song about a DJ who is coming to alleviate boredom.

The track, "The Great DJ", became a worldwide hit. As their first single released by major label Columbia records, it received a lot of airplay, from BBC Radio 1 all the way to stations in Australia.

This is just one of the many interesting stories behind the telltale success of the UK disco-pop duo.

Before they shot to fame with their unique synthpop sound and danceable debut album We Started Nothing, White and de Martino had been dropped by their record label and were risking meningitis by living in a mill whose top floor was knee-deep in feathers and pigeon excrement.

Admitting that having to Google "pigeon feces removal" was something of a low point in their lives, the pair had pretty much given up thinking they would get anywhere and were playing their songs only to friends.

But that's all in the not-too-distant past.

White and de Martino met while she was a student at Leeds University. After de Martino relocated to Manchester, the pair formed part of a trio called Dear Eskiimo, signed to Mercury Records. Creative differences and management issues caused the group to split.

In 2006, White and de Martino formed The Ting Tings and started playing at private parties in the band's hometown of Salford, UK. Luckily for them, their gigs ended up being among the most sought-after on Manchester's party scene.

The Ting Tings produced their first album by recording tracks after they had finished their party gigs.

Their singles had become hits around the world even before their We Started Nothing was released on May 19 last year.

One of their ace songs, "Shut Up and Let Me Go", appeared in an iPod commercial in late April 2008 and sat at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, while their single "That's Not My Name" reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart on May 18, one day before the album was released.

The band was nominated for Best Pop Artist at the BT Digital Music Awards and Best UK Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, as their songs continued to dominate radio playlists and made it onto the soundtracks of popular TV programs such as Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty and Jamie Oliver's cooking show.

The band is currently on an international tour which includes the U.S., Australia, Japan and China; while on tour, they will appear at some of world's biggest music festivals, such as the UK's Glastonbury, the U.S.'s Lolapalooza and Japan's Summersonic.

An upcoming show closer to home will be in Singapore on Jan. 13, as part of the inaugural Big Night Out Singapore 2009 series.

In an interview with a Singapore media outlet, White described their songs as "homemade pop that's DIY, danceable and energetic".

Even Los Angeles-based pop princess Katy Perry is a fan of the band's catchy tunes, saying the sass in Katie White's voice reminds her of the young Debbie Harry.

White, a junior ballroom dancing champion, does The Ting Tings' lead vocals and plays guitar and bass drum. De Martino plays the drums and guitar and does the back-up vocals.

For the band's upcoming Singapore concert, there is one rule for audiences, as White told a local newspaper: "You've got to move! Otherwise don't bother coming to the show."

The Ting Tings will perform live in Singapore on Jan. 13 at Fort Canning Park. Tickets are S$95 until Jan. 13 and will be sold for $105 at the door. Check out www.sistic.com.sg for more details.

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