WHAT happens when Donald Trump, a Squid Games contestant and a moto-taxi driver take the stage in a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, on a late Saturday night? It can only mean one thing: an air guitar battle for peace.

The cosplaying individuals gathered at the second annual Thai Air Guitar Championships for the chance to represent Thailand in the beloved World Championships in Finland later this year.

The hallowed international event, founded to promote world peace in Finland in 1996 – “hold air guitars, not guns” is the tongue-in-cheek motto – has given rise to good-natured and over-the-top competitions around the world.

“This is going to be the greatest thing you have never seen,” roared co-host and organiser Jacob “Airlectic Eel” Conga, bouncing across the stage and warming up the crowd in Brownstone.

For the first round, each of the nine contestants gave a 60-second performance marked by three judges with the top five progressing to the second and final round.

Contestants were marked on technical ability, stage presence and “airness” – “the ‘je ne sais quoi’ of air guitar, when it transcends a performance and becomes a true piece of art”, said Conga.

The eccentric and electric sets, performed to a medley of genres from Rihanna’s Shut Up and Drive to self-composed Thai rock-pop, eventually saw the strutting and pouting “Trump” win the night, despite fierce competition.

“He made Thailand great again, for sure,” said judge and comedian Charles the French.

Explaining his costume, most of which was chaotically thrown to the crowd during the final round, he said: “If you have to do this, you got to do something crazy, so let’s do the craziest man on the planet—Trump.”

Having won the 5,000 baht (RM624) prize and a trip to Finland to represent Thailand, Palmer grinned and said: “For most of us, it is probably the only chance you have of becoming a national champion or even a world champion—so you got to do it.”

France, 22, who gave only his nickname, came along to support his friend, but was totally unprepared for the “crazy” spectacle.

“I played guitar before and I do some air guitar, but I have never seen air guitar like this.” – AFP, June 19, 2022.