Buzzin Music Blog

254 air guitars set new world record at Reading Festival

Charity ActionAid and two hundred and fifty four Reading festival goers broke the Guinness World Record for the largest air guitar ensemble

Hundreds of revellers kicked off Reading Festival by joining charity ActionAid to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people playing air guitar in unison. Gathered together in the ‘Bollocks to Poverty’ tent, the 254-strong crowd collectively rocked it out to the Bon Jovi classic ‘You Give Love a Bad Name.’

Led by ‘expert’ air guitarist Dave ‘Wildman’ Pickles and partner Ricky ‘Gorgeous’ Jones, the crowd were given an air guitar warm up lesson before the big moment. As the first chords of the famous tune rung out through the tent, all fingers were poised and ready to strum their stuff- and once the music kicked in, the raucous crowd didn’t disappoint….

In the packed, hot and sweaty tent, the two hundred and fifty four revellers rocked and rolled, plucked and twanged hard enough to make even the most hardcore rock god proud.

Official adjudicator, Erica Holmes-Attivor, from Guinness World Records was on hand throughout the attempt to check all participants were playing their air guitar non-stop throughout the track.

“This was one rowdy and unruly crowd, but I kept a close eye on them and checked all were playing their air guitar correctly. We are proud to announce ActionAid have broken the Guinness World Record for the largest air guitar ensemble.” – said Erica Holmes

Anella Wickenden, who heads up the youth team at ActionAid, said: “This is our seventh year at Reading and we always have a fantastic response from people who want to get involved and join in the fight against global poverty.

“We want to say a big thanks to everyone who joined us to break the world record. The atmosphere in the tent was electric. Who needs real instruments when you’ve got hundreds of Reading fans all armed and ready to rock their air guitars?”

For more information visit www.actionaid.org.uk/bollocks