Potted History:

Though the World Championships have been held since the last century, the UK did not join until 2006. There had been many Air Guitar events in the UK before then, but it wasn’t until Zac “The Magnet” Monro went to Finland as an independent and became the 1st non-Finn to win the World Championships in 2001 that the artform gained massive international acclaim.

Zac Monro returned and won the title a second time before retiring. He is often considered to be the Zen Master of Air Guitar because of his minimalist style (no wigs or silly costumes) and believes that ‘Air Guitar will save your life”.

Spurred-on by the media circus that followed, “The Magnet” judged a number of Air Guitar events that year but found that none were run by championship rules, or sent their Champions to the World Final. In the following years, though many people happy to use the media interest he generated, and were making money out of the artform he so loved: no one would commit to joining the growing global network of the AGWC

So in 2006, “The Magnet” decided that enough was enough, and joined forced with music impresario Chris York to hold the UK’s 1st Official and affiliated Championship.

Air Guitar UK was born, and the 1st Official Championship were held in August 2006 at the Academy Islington, London. That same year Gabi “The Hoxton Creeper” Matzeu was sent to Finland as the UK’s 1st Official Champion.

In 2007, in the run-up to release of the cult Film ”Air Guitar Nation”, the 2nd Final played once again to a full house at the Academy Islington, and has done ever since.

Air Guitar UK events are held in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Air Guitar is considered a force for good, and in the absence of world peace this is at least something.

Air Guitar UK also joined with the UK Rock Challenge charity to brake the Guiness World Record for the largest air guitar ensemble at the Sheffield Arena on 11 July 2009.

Air Guitar UK also run AireokeTM nights, which are described as “ where karaoke gets its fury little butt kicked”. These are free-form Air Guitar nights run without rules, with full audience participation, bands and long solos permitted.

Zac Monro now has an Air Guitar wife and 2 Air Guitar Babies and lives in Brixton London.