Rhyl’s Electric Sheep Inc. played the inaugural Blesstival at Camden’s iconic Elephant’s Head this past Sunday.

Frontman Christian Pimley dedicated the set to the recent passing of The Alarm’s Mike Peters. His impassioned speech about local icon status led into the groove-laden ‘Moosha Mosh’, where wayward Happy Mondays-style guitars set the stage for Pimley’s star to rise.

Resplendent in a charcoal Fred Perry t-shirt, Pimley strutted and danced with magnetic appeal. Eyes front and centre, his diminutive figure delivered a colossal lyrical assault. The ambition of Ian Brown and the poetry of Shaun Ryder collided to herald the UK’s next cultural icon:

“I’m a poet, I’m a liar, I’m a military coup”

On their latest single, ‘Cough Syrup’, the pace drops slightly, allowing Cameron Kelly and Jack Jones to ring out through this intimate setting as if it were Brixton Academy. Josh Jones’ basslines crunched with raw sex appeal, while Pimley’s angelic “oooo oooos” cut through the bombast with near-divine power.

The lyrical flow, the storytelling, and their full-bodied dive into the rock ’n’ roll aesthetics of Ecko and Bless were a joy to behold. Camden briefly reclaimed its soul. Guitars felt cool again - more than that, they felt vital.