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At the age of 10, I discovered a feature in my hometown newspaper about the Air Guitar World Championships, which take place every year in my native city of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had participated at the inaugural contest since 1996 – mom distributed flyers, dad organized the music. From that point, national championships have been held in many nations, with the titleholders gathering in Oulu annually.

At the time, I asked my parents if I could compete. At first they were hesitant; the competition was in a bar, and there would be a lot of adults. They thought it might be an daunting atmosphere, but I was determined.

In my youth, I was always performing air guitar, pretending to play to the biggest rock tunes with my imaginary instrument. My family were music fans – my dad loved Bruce Springsteen and the Irish rock band. the band AC/DC was the original act I stumbled upon myself. Angus Young, the lead guitarist, was my idol.

As I took the stage, I did my routine to AC/DC’s the song Whole Lotta Rosie. The spectators started chanting “Angus”, just like the live recording, and it struck me: so this is to be a guitar hero. I made it to the finals, performing to crowds in the public plaza, and I was captivated. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

After that I stopped. I was a referee one year, and kicked off the show on another occasion, but I didn’t compete. I came back at 18, tried a few different stage names, but fans continued using “Little Angus” so I embraced it and choose “The Angus” as my stage name. I’ve qualified for the last round every year since 2022, and in 2023 I was the runner-up, so I was resolved to take the title this year.

The air guitar community is like a family. The saying we live by is ‘Play air guitar, avoid battles’. It may seem funny, but it’s a real philosophy.

The event is competitive but uplifting. Competitors have one minute to deliver maximum effort – explosive energy, perfect mime, stage magnetism – on an invisible guitar. Judges evaluate you on a point range from four to six. In the case of a tie, there’s an “air-off” between the last two competitors: a song plays and you improvise.

Training is crucial. I chose an the band Avenged Sevenfold song for my routine. I listened to it on a loop for a long time. I practiced flexibility, trying to get my lower body flexible enough to leap, my hands fast enough to mimic solos and my back prepared for those gestures and hops. By the time the big day dawned, I could feel the song in my being.

When the show concluded, the points were announced, and I had drawn with the Japanese champion, the Japanese titleholder – it was time for an final showdown. We competed directly to the Guns N’ Roses hit by the rock group. Once the track began, I felt relieved because it was familiar to me, and primarily I was so thrilled to play again. Once the results were read I’d emerged victorious, the square went wild.

My memory is blurry. I think I blacked out from surprise. Then the crowd started singing the classic tune Rockin’ in the Free World and raised me up on to their backs. One of the greats – AKA his stage name – a former champion 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 prior titleholder, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was also present. He gave me the most heartfelt squeeze and said it was “finally happening”.

The air guitar community is like a support system. Our motto is “Make air, not war”. Though it appears comical, but it’s a true way of life. People come from many countries, and everyone is positive and uplifting. As you prepare to compete, all participants offers an embrace. Then for 60 seconds you’re free to be uninhibited, playful, the ultimate music icon in the world.

Additionally, I am a drummer and string player in a musical act with my sibling called the band name, named after Gareth Southgate, as we’re inspired by British music genres. I’ve been bartending for a few years now, and I direct independent videos and song visuals. The victory hasn’t altered my routine significantly but I’ve been doing a lot of press, and I aspire it leads to more artistic projects. Oulu will be a designated cultural center the coming year, so there are promising opportunities.

At present, I’m just thankful: for the group, for the chance to perform, and for that little kid who picked up a newspaper and thought, “I want to do that.”