Billy told Robbie Von from Perth Mates Podcast about his upcoming adventure to Finland and how it all came about. As Australia’s Number 1 ranked Air Guitarist, Perth’s Billy Damage is shredding his way to Finland at the end of August to compete in the Air Guitar World Championships.
LISTEN HERE: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CdjHgvaNn5Vs5uoeLlhDs?si=ea426455afc7407c
‘I won the competition at Perth Fringe in January which qualified me to go to the championships as the highest ranked Air Guitarist in Australia. So the people in Finland got in contact and said theres a spot here if you want it.’ ‘Its a bit daunting, we’re talking the cream of the world in air guitar that I’m there going up against but I’m not going there to make up the numbers, I want to take home the Chocolates mate’.
‘The championships are in little town of about 200,000 people called Oulu. And it’s a crazy place with Arctic temperatures and Reindeers. They’ve held it there since about 1996. It’s the heartland of air guitar and it originally started for their summer solstice when there’s like 22 hours of Daylight. It’s so scando its not even funny. Saunas, drinking, air guitar and sunlight!
When asked about some of the moves he had up his sleeve to get him over the line in Finland, Billy Damage revealed to the Perth Mates Podcast that he has plenty in his arsenal.
‘The old classic windmills. Also, when there’s a pause in the song, throw the air guitar in the air to rev up the crowd then catch it into a power cord, that’s a good one. There’s a big power slide which is a big knee slide. It’s all about getting the crowd up and about.’
And the big question … what’s Billy Damage’s ‘go-to’ artist or song when it comes to rockin’ out on an air guitar?
‘You cant really go past Van Halen he was the ultimate shredder old Eddie, RIP. Hot For Teacher is one of my favourites with the fret tapping. Cherry Pie is another classic from Warrant. Also, I love Hendrix, set your air guitar on fire, shred, lets go’.