🔗 Share this article

At the age of 10, I came across a story in my community gazette about the Air Guitar World Championships, that happens every year in my birthplace of Oulu, Finland. My parents had participated at the pioneering contest back in 1996 – my mum distributed flyers, my father managed the music. Ever since, domestic competitions have been staged in many nations, with the titleholders converging in Oulu every summer.

Initially, I asked my parents if I could enter. They weren't sure at first; the event was in a bar, and there would be many grown-ups. They thought it might be an overwhelming atmosphere, but I was determined.

During childhood, I was always miming air guitar, acting out to the iconic rock tunes with my make-believe instrument. My parents were music fans – my father loved The Boss and U2. the Australian rockers was the initial group I discovered on my own. the guitarist, the guitar hero, was my idol.

As I took the stage, I did my routine to AC/DC’s the song Whole Lotta Rosie. The spectators started shouting “Angus”, similar to the album track, and it dawned on me: so this is to be a rock star. I advanced to the last round, competing to crowds in the town square, and I was addicted. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

Then I took a break. I was a referee one year, and opened for the show once more, but I stayed out of the contest. I went back at 18, tried a few different stage names, but everyone still referred to me as “Little Angus” so I accepted it fully and make “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve qualified for the last round annually from 2022 onward, and in 2023 I came second, so I was set to win this year.

The worldwide group is like a family. Our guiding principle is ‘Make air, not war’. Though it appears humorous, but it’s a true ethos.

The competition itself is high-energy yet fun. Competitors have one minute to put their all – dynamic presence, flawless imitation, performance charm – on an invisible guitar. The panel evaluate you on a grading system from a specific numeric range. If scores are equal, there’s an “tiebreaker” between the remaining participants: a track is selected and you freestyle.

Getting ready is key. I picked an the band Avenged Sevenfold song for my performance. I listened to it on a loop for a long time. I stretched constantly, trying to get my lower body flexible enough to leap, my digits nimble enough to mimic solos and my back set for those gestures and hops. When the big day arrived, I could internalize the track in my soul.

Once all acts were done, the results were tallied, and I had drawn with the winner from Japan, Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo – it was time for an final showdown. We competed directly to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the iconic band. As the music started, I felt comforted because it was a tune I recognized, and above all I was so eager to play again. Once the results were read I’d emerged victorious, the area erupted.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I zoned out from surprise. Then everyone started chanting the song that well-known track and raised me up on to their arms. A former champion – also known as Nordic Thunder – a previous titleholder and one of my closest friends, was embracing me. I shed tears. I was Finland’s first air guitar international titleholder in 25 years. The previous Finnish champion, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was also present. He gave me the warmest embrace and said it was “about damn time”.

This worldwide group is like a close-knit group. Our motto is “Create music, not conflict”. Though it appears comical, but it’s a genuine belief. People come from globally, and all involved is supportive and encouraging. As you prepare to compete, every competitor offers an embrace. Then for a brief period you’re able to be free, humorous, the top performer in the world.

Besides that, I'm a beat keeper and string player in a group with my brother called the band name, named after Gareth Southgate, as we’re fans of UK rock and post-punk. I’ve been bartending for a couple of years, and I direct mini movies and music videos. The victory hasn’t changed my day-to-day life too much but I’ve been doing a extensive media, and I hope it leads to more artistic projects. My hometown will be a cultural hub next year, so there are great prospects.

Currently, I’m just grateful: for the group, for the opportunity to play, and for that budding enthusiast who read an article and thought, “That's for me.”