I Am the Imaginary Guitar World Champion

When I was just 10, I discovered a story in my local paper about the World Air Guitar Competition, held annually every year in my hometown of Oulu, Finland. My parents had helped out at the inaugural contest back in 1996 – mom distributed flyers, my father managed the music. Since then, national championships have been held all across the world, with the winners converging in Oulu every summer.

Back then, I inquired with my family if I could enter. Initially they had doubts; the show was in a bar, and there would be a lot of adults. They felt it might be an daunting atmosphere, but I was set on it.

In my youth, I was always “playing” air guitar, pretending to play to the biggest rock tunes with my imaginary instrument. Mom and Dad were enthusiasts – dad loved Bruce Springsteen and U2. the band AC/DC was the initial group I discovered on my own. Angus Young, the lead guitarist, was my idol.

As I took the stage, I did my routine to the band's that classic track. The spectators started shouting “Angus”, just like the concert version, and it dawned on me: this must be to be a guitar hero. I reached the championship, performing to a large audience in the town square, and I was captivated. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

Later I paused. I was a referee one year, and opened for the show once more, but I didn’t compete. I came back at 18, tested out several stage names, but everyone still referred to me as “Little Angus” so I decided to own it and adopt “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve qualified for the last round annually from 2022 onward, and in 2023 I placed second, so I was determined to claim victory this year.

The air guitar community is like a close-knit group. Our guiding principle is ‘Create music, not conflict’. It may seem funny, but it’s a true ethos.

The event is intense but joyful. Competitors have 60 seconds to deliver maximum effort – explosive energy, perfect mime, stage magnetism – on an imaginary instrument. Adjudicators score you on a scale from four to six. If scores are equal, there’s an “showdown” between the last two competitors: a track is selected and you create on the spot.

Training is crucial. I selected an Avenged Sevenfold song for my act. I listened to it on a loop for a long time. I did regular stretches, trying to get my lower body loose enough to bound, my hands quick enough to mimic solos and my upper body ready for those gestures and hops. By the time the event came, I could feel the song in my soul.

When the show concluded, the scores came in, and I had matched with the titleholder from Japan, the Japanese titleholder – it was time for an air-off. We went head-to-head to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the iconic band. Once the track began, I felt at ease because it was one that I knew, and more than anything I was so thrilled to have another go. When they announced I’d triumphed, the area erupted.

My memory is blurry. I think I lost consciousness from shock. Then the crowd started singing Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World and hoisted me on to their arms. A former champion – AKA his stage name – a former champion and one of my closest friends, was holding me. I shed tears. I was the inaugural from Finland air guitar global winner in 25 years. The previous Finnish champion, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was there, too. He gave me the biggest hug and said it was “finally happening”.

The air guitar community is like a family. The phrase we live by is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It may seem humorous, but it’s a genuine belief. People come from globally, and each person is helpful and motivating. As you prepare to compete, each contestant shows support. Then for 60 seconds you’re free to be free, humorous, the top performer in the world.

Besides that, I'm a percussionist and musician in a group with my brother called the group title, named after Gareth Southgate, as we’re influenced by UK rock and post-punk. I’ve been working in bars for a couple of years, and I create independent videos and music videos. The victory hasn’t changed my day-to-day life too much but I’ve been doing a many interviews, and I wish it results in more artistic projects. Oulu will be a European capital of culture soon, so there are promising opportunities.

Currently, I’m just thankful: for the group, for the opportunity to play, and for that little kid who picked up a newspaper and thought, “That's for me.”