They had the look, the attitude, the rock star poses and a sell-out crowd. Only one thing was missing - the guitars.

The Air Guitar Championship 2003, now in its sixth year, rocked into Brighton in an ear-splitting cacophony of colour, chaos and old-fashioned rock'n'roll.

Tight leather trousers, PVC, biker boots and wigs were de rigeur. Nudity, a rubber chicken and a pink Lycra cat suit were thrown in for good measure.

The Rivera Kid, aka Alex Burt, a barber from Hanover, was one of the first hopefuls to pluck his air strings in front of the baying audience at the Concorde 2.

With long hair flapping wildly as he head-banged his way through Sex Pistols' anthem Holiday In The Sun, he raced about the stage, climbing on speakers, playing his imaginary guitar for all he was worth.

He said: "I entered for the sheer hell and fun of it. I don't think there are many events you can act like a complete lunatic.

"It requires no skill and I don't care if I win or lose. I loved being up there."

Sporting a blond wig and headband, Kitty, aka Mark Smith, of London Road, Brighton, received huge cheers for his camp air guitar rendition.

A waiter at Troggs organic vegetarian restaurant, he said: "I was at a party on the beach when someone handed me a tennis racket for some reason.

"I played it all night and my mates told me I should enter."

Triple Slash, a trio of impersonators of the Guns 'n' Roses guitarist, took to the stage complete with two roadies and a bottle of Jack Daniels, to a chorus of screaming girls.

With black wigs and top hats bobbing and skin-tight trousers bulging, their rendition of Welcome To The Jungle was the undisputed winner.

One of the Slashes, from Brighton, said: "It was beautiful. It's the spirit of it. We were born to be on stage."

Now a worldwide phenomenon, the Air Guitar Championships was born in a Brighton club.

Jeffrey Disastronaut started air guitar jamming sessions at The Lift Club on a Sunday night in the early Nineties.

This autumn he is launching the first air guitar championships in China and Japan and hosting the Texas championship in October.

He said: "I encouraged anyone who wanted to to get up on stage. Air guitar grew as a result of that.

"I had an empty Sunday night and thought it would be funny. I had no idea it would go so big."

Triple Slash will continue their journey to rock greatness at the UK championship finals at the Electric Ballroom, Camden, London, on September 14, where they will meet finalists from around Europe.