コスプレでエアギター！　タイで選手権

【バンコクＡＦＰ＝時事】タイの首都バンコクで１８日夜、第２回エアギター選手権が開催され、コスプレ姿の参加者らが白熱した戦いを繰り広げた。優勝者は、今年フィンランドで開催されるエアギター世界選手権にタイ代表として出場する。（写真は優勝者のドナルド・トランプ前米大統領のコスプレをしたロブ・パーマーさん）
　エアギター選手権は１９９６年、世界平和をうたい、フィンランドで始まった。
　今年は、ロブ・パーマーさん（６１）が優勝した。ドナルド・トランプ前米大統領に扮（ふん）し、グリーン・デイの「アメリカン・イディオット」を披露した。
　パーマーさんは「素晴らしい夜になった」とコメント。トランプ氏に扮した理由については、「やるならクレイジーにしなくてはと思ったので、世界で一番クレイジーな男になってみた」と説明した。
　パーマーさんはタイに８年滞在している。
　審査員を務めたコメディアンのチャールズ・ザ・フレンチさんは、パーマーさんのパフォーマンスについて、トランプ氏のスローガンをもじって「タイを再び偉大にした」と評価した。
　パーマーさんには賞金５０００バーツ（約１万９０００円）が贈られた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/06/21-15:11）

What happens when Donald Trump, a Bangkok moto-taxi driver, and a Squid Games contestant take the stage in a Bangkok bar late on a Saturday night? It can only mean one thing: an air guitar battle for peace.
The cosplaying individuals were gathered at the second annual Thai air guitar championship for the chance to represent Thailand in the beloved World Championships in Finland later this year.
The hallowed international event, founded in Finland in 1996 to promote world peace -- 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 Brownstone venue's stage following his exuberant performance to warm up the crowd.
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 and tastes 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, judge and comedian Charles the French said.
Rob Donald Trump Palmer, who when not performing air guitar solos has lived and worked in Thailand for the past eight years, said the evening was fantastic.
It's a great idea, completely stupid but also totally awesome, said the 61-year-old following his Trump-imbued performance of Green Day's American Idiot.
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, to do Trump.
Having won the 5,000 baht ($141) prize, and a trip to Finland to represent Thailand, Palmer grinned and said: For most of us, it's probably the only chance you have of becoming a national champion or even a world champion -- so you got to do it.
France, a 22-year-old spectator who gave only his nickname, had come 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've never seen air guitar like this.