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"A band is like a street gang. It makes sense when you're 20 and gets harder as you get older. -- Edge, 2002 |
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"A band is like a street gang. It makes sense when you're 20 and gets harder as you get older. -- Edge, 2002 |
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@U2 QOM October 2008: Happy birthday, Larry!And in honor of our favorite drummer, what's your favorite musical moment (in a song or a live show) from Larry?
@U2,
November 05, 2008
(Each month, @U2 puts a spotlight on U2 fans with our "Question of the Month." We pose a question to our readers and invite answers of 200 words or less. If you're interested in taking part, check our home page to see if the current question is still open. If not, check back shortly after the beginning of next month and we'll have another question ready to be answered!)
And at the climactic point just before Bono explodes with the added verse of "Yeah, we'll shine like stars in the summer night...," Larry, sitting with his headphones on, seems to slip away into his own private universe, playing as fast as humanly possible and showing his true emotion and love for the song. I love the way the spotlights come down on him too like he was alone up there on his drum riser. The energy is indescribable! -- Ian Kelly My favorite Larry moment occurred on September 21, 2005 at the last Chicago performance of the Vertigo tour. At the end of the concert the boys led us in the ever-thrilling sing-along of "40." As Bono made his final bow he took off his cowboy hat and hung it -- brilliantly lit by the spotlight -- on his mic stand. The Edge and Adam made their usual exits, and only Larry remained, accompanying our chanting on his kit. Then came the memorable moment: After his final hammer-stroke on the drums and cymbals, Larry stood, walked downstage to the mic, lifted Bono's hat and, with what seemed a cocky flourish, put it on. A final wave and -- almost -- a smile, and he sauntered off wearing Bono's hat -- to resounding applause of course. -- Tony Dawson No personal story -- I just love, love, LOVE the drums on "I Threw
a Brick Through a Window." Especially on those live shows when there
is the segue into "A Day Without Me". It just transports me
-- watch the new Live at Red Rocks and see if it doesn't transport
you as well! Happy Birthday and thank you, Mr. Mullen. -- Anita Smith Happy birthday to the most beautiful man alive! ... did I say that out loud? Anywho, my favorite Larry Mullen moment is a little unorthodox. I was in Boston with a few gal pals for a screening of U2 3D, and at some point during the movie, one of my friends turned to me and started tapping me repeatedly on the shoulder. Being the strange person I am, I was dancing in my seat, singing along, having a good time! I turn to her, and she's grinning at me. She's gesturing at the screen, and mouthing something, but I can't quite figure out what she's saying. I look back at the screen, and it's a close up of Larry. I look back at her... and realize she's saying "LOOK AT HIS ARMS." I start cracking up laughing, and we spend the rest of the showing nearly stabbing each other every time we get a good look at Larry's arms. And, to this day, we still go, "Oh my, look at that Larry Mullen's arms!" -- Erin Nelson Over 20 years ago, I went to the Music Den (remember those) in my mall and bought a VHS copy of Live Under a Blood Red Sky. Of course I already had practically worn out the cassette as it was my second-ever U2 purchase. But it took a while for pre-Joshua Tree, non-mainstream U2 videotapes to reach small Iowa towns. After scrimping for what seemed like forever, I bought it and raced home to watch it. Some of the best shots of the whole show are the quick cuts of Larry grimacing at his kit. I believe it was this tour that he finally perfected his serious/grumpy on-stage persona. Of course he looked all of 17 -- about my same age at the time. Now I can't wait for my kids to buy me the re-mastered show for Christmas when I'll be able to watch him grunt in high-tech digital glory. Sweet. -- Jeff Favorite Larry Mullen Moment: Larry, as the last person on stage, coming out from behind the kit at the very end of the final Vertigo Tour Show in Honolulu, HI, and saying, "Thanks to all our crew. We'll see you again... soon" and then walking off stage. Second favorite Larry Mullen Moment: Larry telling the Three Bears joke on Radio 1 Ireland: "Papa bears says, 'Who's been eaten my porridge?' Mama bear says 'Who's been eating my porridge?' Baby bear says, 'Eff the porridge; somebody's just stolen the video machine!'" -- Lance A. Schart I actually have three favorite musical moments of Larry. The first one is, although I wasn't there but would have loved to have been, when U2 played under the Brooklyn Bridge in 2004 and Bono was singing but forgot his lyrics, and they showed Larry behind his drums singing the words. I think they were singing "She's a Mystery to Me" and I just loved the look on Larry's face, he just seemed so happy. My next favorite moment is when Larry would come out with his single drum during the Vertigo Tour and sing with Bono. He would really get into his drumming and it was really awesome to see the friendship between him and Bono. My other favorite musical moment of Larry is how he is always the last one playing during "40". There is just a special spirit during that song and I don't really get the same feeling when somebody other than Larry is playing it. He is the best drummer I have ever seen or heard. There is a line from Les Miserables and it always reminds me of how I feel when I hear Larry play, "When the beating of your heart -- Elsha Stockseth December 3rd, 1997 PopMart Mexico City show. I was there, and it was clear:
Larry dropped one of the sticks after the first cymbal on the NYD intro. And
after, we saw the video release, the drum beat was complete! -- Samantha Cortés Puebla My favorite Larry moment is his drumming on "One Tree Hill." I've never been able to figure out how he keeps something that complex going for five minutes. And it is so different than any other U2 song. -- Thomas Gagnon From a performance point of view, it's hard to go past "With or Without You" from the Rattle & Hum movie. As the song reaches its crescendo, there is this awesome depth and power to his drumming. For comic relief, I just love the footage from the HTDAAB bonus DVD when he talks about how he "absolutely can't remember" where "Crumbs From Your Table" came from. He seems genuinely disturbed that he can't recall how it came together, ending with an anxious, "It's very worrying." Poor lad, that's what happens when you hit your 40s -- your memory cells start to fade. -- Michael Richardson My favorite memory of Larry occurred when U2 played at Dodger Stadium in LA in the early '90s. It was Larry's birthday, so Bono popped a bottle of champagne. Larry came to the front of the stage and sang a Pogues tune which I think is called "Dirty Old Town." It's a great song, and it was truly surreal watching and hearing Larry of all people sing it. I don't think I'd ever heard Larry say more than 2 words before: thank you. So this was a real treat. At the time, I think I just assumed that that was Larry's favorite song, or maybe the only one he knew or felt comfortable singing. Looking back, I'm wondering if the song title was a backhanded reference to LA. I could definitely see Larry taking pleasure in a joke that only he gets. (@U2 note to submitters: please tell us your name when you submit your answers so we can give you credit!) Great question! It took me a minute, then it hit me... I think it was so exciting seeing Larry (in U2 3D) out from behind the drum kit, banging away to "Love and Peace or Else." He had his usual look of pain but really it is concentration. I thought it was so cool how that one drum part could lift the arena. It was unexpected. Watching him play out there in the open was a great moment, and then to hear him chime in with the vocals....fun stuff. Happy Birthday, Larry. -- Jen Willins Particularly on the Vertigo tour at the end of "Until the End of the World"
when Edge and Bono were running around the ellipse and Edge would stop behind
Larry's kit and play above him -- Larry was on fire playing, and Edge was shining
the spotlight on him. -- Matt Catalano My favorite moment is from the Meadowlands NJ show of the Vertigo tour on May 17th, at the end of "40", he seamlessly switched drumbeats to "Vertigo" for the surprise encore. -- Cory Hershman My favorite Larry moment happened during PopMart Johannesburg. The band was playing "With or Without You" for the last time from the b-stage. We were standing right there on the rail and could clearly see Larry weeping while he was drumming. The guys were sharing a very private, very emotional moment together as the last songs of the tour were being played. It was quite special. -- Mat My favorite moment would have to be at the end of the Vertigo Live From Chicago DVD, during the song "40," where three of the band members leave one by one leaving Larry, which then he launches into a drum solo, then stops, stands up, waves to the crowd and smiles (which is the first time I have ever seen him smile). The moment was so cool because he was the one that put up the legendary advertisement on the bulletin board, so it was like he got the spotlight all to himself for a moment. -- Elyshia Reis This may not be musical, but it was for my sister and I. After sleeping
for the entire flight home from Hawaii to Newark, NJ, we began to disembark.
The flight attendant asked about our trip and we said we saw U2's
unbelievable show. To our delight she said "U2's drummer is
sitting in first class!" We peek in and there he was! -- Debbie Broadman & Michelle Benvenisti As always it's hard to pick just one. My favorite live moment has to be Larry
missing the start of "Angel of Harlem" at the Slane Concert. The best
personal moment is of course Larry waving at me in Melbourne. (I was wearing
a Larry Mullen Band T-Shirt). His ultimate career moment was starring in the
"Electrical Storm" video. I first noticed Larry on "With Or Without
You" in the Rattle and Hum movie, which makes it my choice of
actual musical moment. And then there is a moment every time he smiles! Happy Birthday, Larry, and keep those moments coming. -- Barbara
(c) @U2/individual contributors above, 2008.
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I
have many favorite Larry moments but I would have to go with his thunderous
drums on the Rattle And Hum film version of "With Or Without You".
The drums in that performance are absolutely amazing, and help to make that
my favorite version of "WOWY". He really seems to be in his
own world during that performance, which I believe was one of the first
times they ever played that song live. 
