A sepia-tinged film of angry marches, explosions, hooded paramilitaries and British soldiers on the streets of Northern Ireland provide the stage to Getner’s blockbuster debut single Motorman.

“At the heart of our music is a positive rage,” says Getner’s lead singer Quinten Wylie whose band provide the first headline show at The Mezz, a new venue in the Gisburn Forest near Clitheroe on Sunday, August 30.

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“Our songs are about volatile times; stories we’ve heard, read about, and the traumatic aftermath surrounding us as we grew up in Northern Ireland.”

Northern Irish band Getner are the first band to play at new music venue The Mezz in the Gisburn Forest

placeholder image — Northern Irish band Getner are the first band to play at new music venue The Mezz in the Gisburn Forest

In 1972, at the beginning of what became known as the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, the British Army launched Operation Motorman, with

thousands of troops using tanks and bulldozers to regain so-called ‘no-go areas’ in cities like Belfast and Derry.

“I was born in Derry, as was our drummer Rauiri Coyle, who wrote Motorman,” said Wylie. “My grandad was from the Bogside (a predominantly nationalist community in Derry), my dad was a Protestant and mum was a Catholic, so we all have a shared history.

“I’m 29 now and they call my generation the peace babies and that’s such a precious thing to hold on to.”

Getner have dedicated their first record to the memory of Derry-born filmmaker Vinny Cunningham who died last year. Cunningham’s cinematic work about the Troubles included his award-winning documentary Operation Motorman and a film on Derry’s most famous musical sons, The Undertones.

Clitheroe couple Ivana Douglas and her husband Tim are behind the new venture at The Mezz, located inside the Hungry Pine café at Stephen Park in the Gisburn Forest. “It was our dream to get this going because I’m so passionate about making the creative arts accessible,” said Ivana.

The Mezz have teamed up with Clitheroe-based independent music promoter – So It Goes – who programmed last month’s Seek Out

festival. “Hopefully, this is just the start,” added Ivana. “Tom Ainsworth and Sophie Kenyon (So It Goes) are working so hard, and they’ve already got another great show booked in here when Bikini Body play in September.”

“The Mezz is such an incredible space and will be, I think, one of Lancashire’s most unusual venues.” Tickets are available on tlhe platform fatsoma.