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When I was just 10, I read about a story in my hometown newspaper about the Global Air Guitar Contest, held annually every year in my hometown of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had participated at the pioneering contest starting from 1996 – my mother gave out flyers, my dad sorted the music. Ever since, domestic competitions have been organized globally, with the winners assembling in Oulu annually.

Initially, I requested permission if I could enter. At first they were hesitant; the event was in a bar, and there would be an older crowd. They felt it might be an intimidating atmosphere, but I was resolved.

In my youth, I was always “playing” air guitar, pretending to play to the biggest rock tunes with my make-believe instrument. Mom and Dad were music fans – dad loved The Boss and the Irish rock band. the Australian rockers was the initial group I discovered on my own. the guitarist, the frontman guitarist, was my hero.

When I stepped on stage, I performed my act to the band's the song Whole Lotta Rosie. The audience started shouting “Angus”, just like the concert version, and it dawned on me: this is what it feels like to be a music icon. I advanced to the last round, competing to crowds in the town square, and I was hooked. I got the nickname “Little Angus” that day.

Then I took a break. I was a adjudicator one year, and started the show another time, but I stayed out of the contest. I returned at 18, experimented with various stage names, but people kept calling me “Little Angus” so I embraced it and adopt “The Angus” as my stage name. I’ve qualified for the last round annually from 2022 onward, and in 2023 I came second, so I was determined to win 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 intense but joyful. Competitors have one minute to deliver maximum effort – high-powered performance, precise mimicry, stage magnetism – on an invisible guitar. Judges score you on a point range from 4.0 to 6.0. When it's a draw, there’s an “air-off” between the remaining participants: a tune begins and you freestyle.

Preparation is everything. I chose an a metal group song for my act. I had it on repeat for multiple weeks. I did regular stretches, trying to get my lower body prepared enough to bound, my digits quick enough to copy riffs and my upper body ready for those gestures and hops. When the event came, I could sense the music in my being.

When the show concluded, the scores came in, and I had tied with the titleholder from Japan, a competitor known as Sudo-chan – it was occasion for an tiebreaker. We went head-to-head to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the rock group. Once the track began, I felt comforted because it was one that I knew, and above all I was so eager to play again. As they declared I’d emerged victorious, the venue went wild.

My memory is blurry. I think I blacked out from shock. Then the crowd started singing Neil Young’s that well-known track and raised me up on to their arms. One of the greats – also known as his stage name – a former champion and one of my dear companions, was holding me. I wept. I was the inaugural from Finland air guitar global winner in two and a half decades. The prior titleholder, the former champion, was also present. He gave me the warmest embrace and said it was “long overdue”.

The air guitar community is like a family. The phrase we live by is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It sounds silly, but it’s a real philosophy. People come from all over the world, and everyone is supportive and encouraging. As you prepare to compete, every competitor offers an embrace. Then for 60 seconds you’re able to be yourself, playful, the top performer in the world.

Additionally, I am a percussionist and guitarist in a group with my sibling called the Southgates, inspired by Gareth Southgate, as we’re inspired by Britpop and new wave. I’ve been bartending for a couple of years, and I create independent videos and song visuals. The victory hasn’t changed my day-to-day life too much but I’ve been doing a many interviews, and I hope it leads to more innovative opportunities. My hometown will be a designated cultural center next year, so there are promising opportunities.

For now, I’m just appreciative: for the group, for the ability to compete, and for that little kid who found a story and thought, “I'd love to try that.”