Musicians and DJs are coming out in force to back music legend Jim Riley, who is due to lose his home and the famous Ranscombe Studios in Rochester.

Managers of The Royal Function Rooms and Billabong comedy club in Star Hill, Rochester, were last month given notice to quit by the end of this year, and Ranscombe Studios, which is in the same building, will also have to find somewhere else.

News of the potential loss has sparked anger and worry among friends and musicians, and a fundraising concert featuring many bands to have recorded at Ranscombe will take place on January 13, raising funds to help Jim and his legendary studio find new homes.

The campaign has also received support from top DJs, with Marc Riley and BBC6's Steve Lamacq tweeting support for the gig and Radio X's John Kennedy adding: "Support this treasure and keep the Medway music dream alive."

Among those playing at the gig at Stanley House Ballroom in Chatham, are The Solarflares (Graham Day, Wolf Howard, Allan Crockford), The Masonics, The Len Price 3, The Galileo 7, Treasures of Mexico, Upcdownc, The Lovedays and Theatre Royal – who called the studio a "Medway institution".

Minster-born singer-songwriter Ben Jones, who is now based in the USA, posted: "Friends, far and wide – our good friend Jim Riley has unexpectedly found himself in the situation of having to uproot… his home and Ranscombe Studios are in the same building, the beautiful Royal Function Rooms, so it’s a double whammy for him, so we’re having a fundraiser, to make the transition a little less of a strain, and also to ensure the future of Ranscombe Studios.

"Jim has recorded a vast proportion of the great records that have come out of the Medway Towns, and at a rate that we could all afford. Personally, every record I made before I moved to the USA was here. It’s still been a home away from home.

"He’s a true treasure to our culture, not just locally, so we need to rally round and give him something back. It’s not charity, and he hasn’t asked, but at times like these, we must stand up for what’s important to us."

Kelly Stanley & Company added: "So gutted to hear the studio where I have recorded almost every album of mine since I was a young teenager Ranscombe Studios is facing an uncertain future as all are having to evict the building.

"There is a fundraiser next year for those interested but it’s just such a blow for the local music scene and another reminder of how crap everything is at the moment. Feeling lucky to be in an ok position but wishing better for the world."

Meanwhile a campaign has been launched to save the Royal Function Rooms, a former Victorian music hall which has the second oldest purpose-built stage in England.

Theatre Royal added: "Really sad news that The Royal Function Rooms and Billabong in Rochester are closing down. We've all seen loads of great gigs there (Billy Childish, The Cribs, John Cooper Clarke, Vic Goddard etc) and we've had some some great nights playing there alongside @thelenprice @sweetbaboomusic @dodgyband @upcdowncband @the_pastel_waves_band Graham Day and many more.

"Hopefully something can be done to save the building and keep it as a venue. It's the only proper venue in Medway, one of the oldest stages in the country. Wishing Jim, Mary and Andy all the best and thanks for having us so many times."

Labour group leader Cllr Vince Maple has also added his support to keep the venue, investigating the possibility of getting the building listed as an asset of community value.

That would potentially protect it from being turned into something else, such as housing, giving supporters the chance to make a bid and take it on as a community.

But while the Royal Function Room stage has been a platform for bands to show off their live talents, its Ranscombe Studios, beneath, that has provided a hideaway where they can cook up new creations.

Other top Medway talents to have recorded there include Billy Childish, Brothers Grimm, Funke & the Two Tone Baby, Sally Ironmonger, and The James Taylor Quartet to name just a few.

Jim himself is also a renowned musician, having found fame in Kent originally as the frontman of R&B outfit Wipeout, and continuing to perform over the years with bands like The Brothers Grimm – and recently as the frontman for Jim Riley’s Blues Foundation.

The band won critical acclaim when they released their first album in 2018, and a gig at the 100 Club in London followed by a UK tour brought them to the attention of a larger audience.