JUST three days after launching an £80,000 campaign to save it from closure, Oxford’s Cellar club has raised more than £16,000.

The club, in Frewin Court off Cornmarket Street is Oxford city centre’s last true independent music venue. However, it will close on December 3 unless it can find the funds to carry out structural work to its underground entrance.

The 150-capacity venue is only able to hold 60 people at a time after council inspectors said its entrance was 30cm too small – making it unviable as a gig venue. It has just five weeks to raise the money to carry out the necessary work and pay for loss of earnings.

The Crowdfunder appeal has already been backed by some of the biggest names on the city’s music scene, with members of Radiohead, Ride, Foals and Gaz Coombes, formerly of Supergrass, lending their support.

Venue manager Tim Hopkins said: “Our campaign launch on Friday had an astounding reaction. We reached just over £11,000 in one day!

"It’s been so special and motivating to read all the incredible comments people have posted on the Crowdfunder page and our social media. Twitter has been positively bursting with words of support with people sharing wonderful personal stories of their experiences here.”

More local musicians have joined them in calling for its survival.

Oxford electronic producer and DJ Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (real name Orlando Higginbottom) said: “The Cellar deserves your love and support. I spent hundreds of nights there, mostly having fun but also playing in bands and DJing. It has been so supportive of local acts. I can’t put into words how important an independent venue like this is to everybody.”

Walter Gervers formerly played bass with Foals. The band started off at The Cellar before becoming one of the biggest indie-rock bands in the world.

He said: “It’s probably the venue that members of my band have been thrown out of more times than we’ve played there – which is quite an accolade. Long may it continue for all to enjoy real gold shows in the most intimate of settings.”

Another Oxford band to go from small beginnings to global stars are Glass Animals. Frontman Dave Bayley said: “My love for live music, clubbing, and nightlife came from basically living in The Cellar.

"I spent about three nights a week there growing up. It was one of those places you go to even if you don’t know the band or the DJ. It gave bands like that a chance to practice in front of an audience, and eventually gave us that same opportunity. It’s inspired and given birth to countless musicians.

"To see it turned into some retail outlet would be like beating the small heart of the Oxford music scene to a pulp with a pre-made sandwich. Terribly sad.”

Go to crowdfunder.co.uk/cellar-forever