In Deptford, London, lies a DIY not-for-profit grassroots music and arts venue that’s both wheelchair-accessible and queer friendly. The Piehouse Workers Co-Op hosts hundreds of events each year spanning performance art, music, poetry, film screenings, karaoke, and so much more. Walk into the iconic railway arch venue and you’ll find yourself in one of the most accepting, eccentric, and energising venues the capital has to offer.
The Piehouse has been through its share of stormy history: previously threatened with closure at its former home, then known as Matchstick Piehouse, it was saved by a community that understood the importance of protecting such spaces. Now, it finds itself in troubled waters once again (pun intended).
Halloween of 2025 brought with it rain. A lot of rain. Rain so heavy that it flooded the venue with water running from the light fixtures into the sound-system, musical equipment, and general places you really don’t want water getting into. The rain forced the venue to close it’s doors for the safety of their staff and customers which came at a cost of £4000 in lost staff earnings, a predicted £18,925 in lost bar income and venue hire fees, £2500 in equipment damage, and affected 140+ artists who had events planned in this small time frame. The latter number, given the venue has only been closed for less than 3 weeks, goes to show just how much talent this venue hosts and supports.
As a result of this expenditure, on top of the ongoing need for upgraded equipment and maintenance facing the co-operatively run venue, the team has been forced to re-open their fundraiser to help cover these costs. The venue’s Crowdfunder page says: “we are asking all our allies for support as we try and reignite the crowdfunder to reflect the new expensive work that needs to take place, and the gear we need to replace”.
Punk singer-songwriter Greebo said: “The Piehouse is the pinnacle of the queer community for me. I travel an hour each way from West London most weeks just to go to a gig. It’s like church but without the religion”. Musician and performance artist Freak Daddy had this to say of the venue: “Piehouse plays a crucial role not only in the fostering of a local music scene but in the support of the community it serves. These types of venues are pivotal in changing the world for the better, starting at a local level with the people in your neighbourhood. I hope that this venue continues to thrive and that it is given the respect it deserves.”
Here’s a stat to make you sad: the UK lost a grassroots music venue every fortnight in 2024.
It’s reasons like this why venues like the Piehouse hold a special place in the hearts and minds of all music lovers. Without spaces to nurture upcoming talent where artists can hone their work, experiment, have a good ol’ knees up, and, in the case of the Piehouse, have a delicious pie while at it, we end up in a bleak state of affairs where only artists with financial backing can get out there and perform. Let’s face it, nobody wants a world with no blues, no punk, no Nirvana, no Sex Pistols, and just a sea and just a sea of bland, corporately produced clones performing safe radio-friendly music.
The Piehouse’s fundraiser currently stands at £16,439 of their £25,000 target. If you can help in any way to push that needle further, either by donating or spreading the word, you’d be helping protect a part of the very root of the UK’s music and arts scene.
Doors re-open at The Piehouse on the 18th of November to a week of music, karaoke, cabaret, and (of course) pies. If you’ve never been, now is the best time to go and check out the place.