Wrought from estuary accented lichen, scrabbled from brine and moss, love and loss, wheezing synths and knackered harmoniums, The Cold Spells emerged from the East London/Essex borders four years ago. Their songs are modern laments filtered through electricity and concrete where kitchen-sink psychedelia meets modern day folk, twisting universal and abstruse references – Cluster, Shirley Collins, Robert Wyatt, Penda’s Fen, Riddley Walker, Nico, Martin Carthy, Numbers Stations and witch trials through the eyes of Aldous Huxley, Threads, Moondog, Play For Today, dissociation, the farthest eastern reaches of the District Line, losing your mind and finding it again slightly altered – into a beautiful, poignant whole.

In more prosaic terms, this gig will also be the first chance to get your hands on The Cold Spells’ eponymous debut album due to be released on Gare du Nord Records two days later.

In 2016, when their label mate Robert Rotifer launched his album “Not Your Door” at SJQ, the Cold Spells opened proceedings on the night. This time the Vienna-born singing and songwriting resident of Canterbury and recent live guitarist for the likes and unlikes of Judy Dyble, Twink, Robert Forster and Louis Philippe, is returning the favour with a strictly finger-picking acoustic solo set. Rotifer promises a complete translation of his most recent, first German album “Über Uns” (#13 in German Rolling Stones 2017 critics’ chart) back into English. Turns out there are words in both languages for his (all of our?) general bewilderment by what passes for everyday politics and the politics of the everyday.

With DJ Paul Wright (ex-Track & Field Records)