Save the Piehouse!
Words: Shane Simpson
I spent St. Patrick’s Day having my perfect Sunday. Sat in the Fox and Firkin with candlelit pints of Guinness and charming folk songs by some self proclaimed Goblins (quite literally - Goblin Band). Hums and harmonies echoing from the crowd as we all tapped our feet along to the accordion, before moving snugly towards the front of the stage to watch... magic tricks?
Honestly I don’t know what else I expected from a night dedicated to Deptford’s Matchstick Piehouse.
Situated under a railway arch, the doors to the Piehouse welcome you in as if you’re being invited into your mate’s living room. Their rota of residents is a powerful showcase of London’s grassroots projects and community spirit. From anarchist collectives consisting of drag and cabaret, punk shows and poetry, to weekly jazz sessions and folk nights. To say there’s no venue like it in London is hardly an understatement.
In December 2024, Matchstick Piehouse community and former staff announced plans to turn their beloved home into a workers co-op after a rent dispute with the landlord failed to reach a settlement.
“We are excited to announce that resident artist Liv Wynter will be stepping in to join our management team and help steer the ship towards a radical future. We will also be working with Sister Midnight founder Lenny Watson who will be offering her co-op knowledge to skill us up as we make the move towards our new structure of working.”
The space was built and set up entirely by volunteers in 2018. Since then, it has provided a home for artists and musicians that is proudly DIY and anti-capitalist, and at its core an empowering place for first time performers and those who may have felt outcast by other London venues.
The fundraiser is important for many reasons beyond just its host of talent. The London scene is in desperate need of a wheelchair accessible space, a safe space for the queer community, and a venue that isn’t afraid to let people express their most radical and political art.
The impact of the Piehouse is felt throughout the night. As each Friend of the Piehouse took to the stage, often they’d share an anecdote - they performed their first ever show there; they found their community there; they’d been inspired by revolutionary practices there.
Friend’s of the Piehouse’s very own Liv Wynter (despite saying they weren’t going to perform any bangers) does an impromptu performance of Housework. The chorus rings true, and serves as a powerful reminder of what we can build for ourselves in this city; “This is my path, this is my house, these are my bricks, and this is my ground”.
As I sit on my night bus home from Lewisham to Tottenham, I watch the groups of clover-clad St Paddy’s Day celebrants stumble into cabs or catch the last train home. They don’t know what a good night out is, I think to myself. They’ve not been to Matchstick Piehouse.
Please consider supporting Matchstick Piehouse by donating to the fundraiser HERE - truly radical spaces are hard to come by, and in the light of so many venues closing, we can’t afford to lose another, especially one that is wheelchair accessible - most queer venues that remain in London are not. Save the Piehouse! Keep in the loop via their Instagram.