Air guitar player out of world championships

Last year Piers Burnell performed under the name Sober Man but this time his character was called James Bond Double Air Seven

A contestant representing the UK at the World Air Guitar Championships 2025 has been knocked out in the qualifying round by just 0.7 points.

Piers Burnell, who lives in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, performed three James Bond songs at the 29th annual event in Oulu, Finland, between 20-22 August.

Last year he performed under the name Sober Man but this time he called himself James Bond Double Air Seven.

Mr Burnell said he was already looking forward to returning for the festival's 30th anniversary edition.

Mr Burnell is looking forward to next year's championships which he said would be "massive and much more difficult"

"It can be so close." Mr Burnell said of the championships' scoring system.

"The winner could be on 48 and number seven could be on 47.1."

He has always loved playing air guitar and said he wanted to keep spreading the official motto of the Air Guitar World Championships: "Make air, not war".

Mr Burnell said the 30th anniversary of the championships next year would coincide with Oulu being named European Capital of Culture for 2026.

"So it's going to be massive and much more difficult." he said.