Mick Jagger rolls in to rescue the 100 Club

Mick Jagger is backing a fight to save one of London's legendary live venues - even though the Rolling Stones were not allowed to play there in the band's early days.

The singer said it was important for the future of live music that the 100 Club in Oxford Street should survive. The cellar venue is threatened with closure because the rent has soared to £4,000 a month plus overheads.

A Save the 100 Club campaign this week saw stars including Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Johnny Borrell of Razorlight, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols and Radio 2 DJ Janice Long plead for its survival.

After learning of the threatened closure through the Evening Standard, Sir Mick, 67, added his name to the bid to save the venue where performers such as Oasis, The Clash, Muddy Waters and Humphrey Lyttelton have appeared.

He said: "This is really bad news if another great venue is threatened with closure. There's a real need for these places - they have a connection with the past. And what is important is that you have places where bands can cut their teeth and places of a certain intimacy and size, that new bands can experiment in. There aren't that many great places in London, or indeed any city, that you can say that about."

But Sir Mick added: "We never played the 100 Club when we first started. We couldn't get a gig." It was only in the Eighties that they performed in its cellar, notably in 1986 with a benefit for their late keyboard player Ian Stewart. "It was good to play there, because we had never done it."

Supporters are now trying to raise £500,000 towards paying off creditors of owner Jeff Horton and to provide enough working capital to ensure it stays open. If successful, the lease would be taken over by the campaign and the club run as a charitable or non-profit-making venture.

Stones Ronnie Wood and Mick Taylor are to play a benefit gig on December 1. Jagger will be away. Other names are being lined up to play a fundraiser on November 25.