- Title: GERMANY: German Air Guitar Contest draws hundreds of fans to Berlin concert hall
- Date: 19th July 2008
- Summary: VARIOUS OF CONTESTANTS PLAYING AIR GUITAR CONTESTANT ANNE GROSSE RUESCHKAMP, THE ONLY FEMALE PARTICIPANT, PERFORMING ON STAGE AUDIENCE APPLAUDING
- Embargoed: 3rd August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA9UHMTVRSXKJ4W89ZP7TNSUERC
- Story Text: Germany's most gifted musicians playing an instrument no one can see have met for the fifth annual Air Guitar Contest in Berlin on Friday night (July 11).
Ten men and one woman performed at the "Lido" concert hall as several hundred enthusiastic supporters cheered, screamed and sang along in the competition which in the eyes of at least one spectator was a real challenge.
The man, in his fourties, said he was most impressed with "the difficulty of playing this instrument."
"It's difficult to play and not easy to handle," he said -- before he cracked up laughing.
To contestant Rene Schmidt from Berlin, his participation was no laughing matter.
The 2007 German champion told Reuters Television that he would "certainly try to win it again."
"But the competition won't be sleeping and I'll need to be on my toes," Schmidt said.
Luck was not on Schmidt's side this year.
The 2008 national champion calls himself "Heart Buckboard,"
otherwise known as Christian Sweep, who fascinated his audience with a performance that ended with the musician stumbling into his supporters.
"It's great!," the 34-year-old winner later said.
"At my age, I didn't expect to win one more time but I did it and it's like a boxing fight, great!"
Asked about his chances at the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland on August 22, Sweep said "my gut feeling tells me I'll become world champion." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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