Anarcho-punk gig dampened down by nightmare flood now venue needs help

Punk fans were enjoying the show at the Piehouse Worker Co-op but mother nature had other ideas (Picture: Piehouse Co-Op/Instagram) Listen to article Listen to article Your browser does not support the audio element. What should have been a sold-out punk night turned into a Halloween nightmare for a beloved anti-capitalist London venue after a flash flood. On Halloween night, Piehouse Workers Co-op, a not-for-profit, accessible music and arts venue had a sold out event with 150 people watching a punk band on stage. But suddenly, disaster struck as water started pouring down from the light fixtures, damaging the Deptford venue’s electrics and sound system and closing it for two weeks. Liv Wynter, venue coordinator and member of the Piehouse Workers’ Co-op, was working inside when the flash flood hit. They told Metro: ‘It literally couldn’t have been more than 25 minutes of just unfathomable torrential rain where everyone was filming it, talking about how crazy it was. ‘And then it just started pouring in, so we were forced to close early which cost us half a grand.’ The good people of the Piehouse Worker Co-op (Picture: Piehouse Co-Op/Instagram) On the night, they recall a lot of people who were immediately willing to help in any way they could. In one moment, Liv was behind the bar talking to an electrician who had a quick look for them and the next, someone they’ve never met before got the wet hoover out to suck up all the water from the floor. They said: ‘People were extremely understanding and I think that’s such a testament to the importance of the space. ‘This isn’t just a venue where you just come once and there’s norelationship to it. ‘There’s that level of respect we receive back from our audience and the people in the community.’ The business lost 20k from being closed for more than two weeks and that’s not including the additional cost of repairs needed to open. Caption: The Piehouse Worker Co-op (Picture: Piehouse Co-Op/Instagram) Piehouse Workers’ Co-op had previously set up a Crowdfunder fundraiser to renovate the space with much-needed updates to the kitchen, bathrooms and music equipment. However, after the flooding, the fundraiser was needed even more due to tech damage and the need for future-proofing. So far, with 11 days left of the fundraiser, more than £17,000 has been raised of their £25,000 target. Last night, Piehouse was able to reopen its doors after some repairs but the drainage wasn’t working. Liv said: ‘We had some problems last night and I was getting anxious. ‘But everyone was so ready to help. People you’ve never met are so ready to pick a mop up, give you a hand and do that work. ‘That’s the beautiful thing about the Piehouse, is that people really do feellike it’s something that they have played a part in existing.’ The welcoming and inclusive space is one of the few wheelchair accessible venues in London and they host different styles of art and performance. In 2023, Matchstick Piehouse had to close its doors despite a huge amount of support from the community. But in March this year, after an extensive community campaign, the treasured venue was reopened. Since the relaunch, they have hosted more than 200 events and continue to create ‘affordable spaces for people to both come and have a drink, but also come and put on their art,’ Liv told Metro. Looking back on the two weeks of stress and chaos caused by the flood, Liv said with a chuckle: ‘There’s been a lot of tears, a lot of them, which as someone with two mohicans and a face tattoo, it takes a lot to get them out.’ You can donate to Piehouse’s Crowdfunder before it ends on November 30. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.