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Thread: Larry Mullen Jnr.

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    Larry Mullen Jnr


    Drummer: Larry Mullen Jnr.
    Main Style: Rock
    Main Band: U2
    Brief Summary: Having started U2 at Mount Temple Comprehesive School in 1976, Larry personifies the young dream of making it with your childhood mates. Withthe exception of guitarist The Edge (aka David Evans), Larry would also probably be the most formally educated out of the whole group...as a 9 year old he had formal drum lessons with Dublin's Joe Bonnie and later was a junior marching drummer in the Artane Boys Band. That rudimental education paid off big time when U2 had success with their anthemic "Sunday Bloody Sunday", which Larry's rudimental snare rolls are a main feature of the song. Quite often he makes use of the toms on his set, resulting in a very tribal feel to a lot of U2's compositions. You quite often see a second floor tom to the left of his hi-hats which he integrates in a lot of slightly unusual fills. Over time, he has been so well known for his solid timekeeping that producer Brian Eno thought Larry was fooling him on a recording claiming that the click track was off and lagging behind on a track. Later on Eno had to correct himself, the click was off by six milliseconds!

    Other Facts: A big Harley Davidson and Elvis Presley fan, Larry Mullen had to add "Jnr" to his name as his father, who had the same name, started receiving large tax bills once U2 were having success with the "War" album.

    Although he has had a long association with Yamaha Drums (and Paiste cymbals), Larry often uses Australian Brady snare drums. He also has specially designed Pro-Mark drumsticks to combat his tendonitis.

    U2 were once known (and still by friends are jokingly referred to) as "The Larry Mullen Jnr Band", due to his drumming being a major key to it.
    Last edited by Drumbledore; 10-05-2011 at 02:28 AM.
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  2. #2

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    larry was the reason i started playing drums in the first place. i like to say that in a very indirect way he taught me to play drums when i was 13 i was so obsessed with u2 that i made it a point to buy anything and everything with u2 plastered on the front that i could get my hands on and learn how to play it. i would sit in my room with one old hand me down snare and a pair of hihats for hours just playing along with their stuff. i'd even get creative and replace the light bulbs in my room with colored ones and pretend i was on stage playing right along with them. lol. my parents bought me my first complete kit a year later and my taste for drummers got more complex over the years, but im still a big u2 fan and ill never forget where it all started... great memories
    Last edited by bluepear2000; 09-01-2011 at 02:25 PM.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drumbledore View Post
    Over time, he has been so well known for his solid timekeeping that producer Brian Eno thought Larry was fooling him on a recording claiming that the click track was off and lagging behind on a track. Later on Eno had to correct himself, the click was off by six milliseconds!
    I find that to be interesting considering that I have a recording of U2 doing "40" live where the time is all over the place. It's not bad - it actually worked in the context of what was going on, but it waffled by probably 5 bpm, and at that relative tempo range, that's a lot.

    Mind you, I'm not trying to bash the guy - in fact, I love his innovative approach to the drum parts to their songs because it's way outside the box, but always fits perfectly with the song. I'm just saying I'm not sure I buy the bit about him being that great of a time keeper.
    Last edited by trickg; 09-01-2011 at 02:36 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by bluepear2000 View Post
    larry was the reason i started playing drums in the first place. i like to say that in a very indirect way he taught me to play drums when i was 13 i was so obsessed with u2 that i made it a point to buy anything and everything with u2 plastered on the front that i could get my hands on and learn how to play it. i would sit in my room with one old hand me down snare and a pair of hihats for hours just playing along with their stuff. i'd even get creative and replace the light bulbs in my room with colored ones and pretend i was on stage playing right along with them. lol. my parents bought me my first complete kit a year later and my taste for drummers got more complex over the years, but im still a big u2 fan and ill never forget where it all started... great memories
    Nice to know there's another Larry fan on DC Chat! I put a few U2 songs in my lessons (complete with charts, including "Sunday Bloody Sunday", yep, all 4 pages it runs, lol). Like you, I obsessed over Larry for quite a while, probably in my early 20's, pulled apart all his stuff from the "Boy" album through to "Zooropa". (mind you, I did the same with Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Jeff Porcaro etc, as any drum geek like me does, lol). But I make sure that people who want to study punk and New Wave styles get exposed to early U2 and Larry Mullen Jnr because he came up with such a distinctive style because of that marching technique.
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    Quote Originally Posted by trickg View Post
    I find that to be interesting considering that I have a recording of U2 doing "40" live where the time is all over the place. It's not bad - it actually worked in the context of what was going on, but it waffled by probably 5 bpm, and at that relative tempo range, that's a lot.

    Mind you, I'm not trying to bash the guy - in fact, I love his innovative approach to the drum parts to their songs because it's way outside the box, but always fits perfectly with the song. I'm just saying I'm not sure I buy the bit about him being that great of a time keeper.
    Yes, but that comment was to do with him recording with a click in the studio, not live, and that it's not only Brian Eno that have said that of Larry, but also producer Daniel Lanois, both whom had worked U2 on the 'Unforgettable Fire' and 'The Joshua Tree' albums. Of course, any drummer playing live has to determine when to 'chase the band' and when clearly state the meter....you have to remember that possibly that version of "40" might have been the one on the live album "Under A Blood Red Sky", about a year after the release of the "War" album, and Larry was still getting used to a click in a studio as a young drummer, and I agree with you yes it does drift live....but live in that earlier period in U2's career, they weren't as reliant for a click in monitors as what they would do later when their stage production expanded after "The Unforgettable Fire"... it would take a few tours before Larry's timing was absolutely spot on for live shows, but as far as album productions are concerned, Eno, Lanois and others certainly do vouch for his reliability.
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    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

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    ^^ Not to mention that 40 was the last track of the show, so he was probably pretty knackered by that time. Hard to keep time after a long show IMO.
    Drumble, the Under a Blood Red Sky album was one of my first tastes of U2 and I wasn't disappointed to say the least. I still drag it out every now and then for a listen and a trip down memory lane. Good times.
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  7. #7

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    Yes he is a very talented drummer cause U2 music is not the easiest to play.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by spesman View Post
    ^^ Not to mention that 40 was the last track of the show, so he was probably pretty knackered by that time. Hard to keep time after a long show IMO.
    Drumble, the Under a Blood Red Sky album was one of my first tastes of U2 and I wasn't disappointed to say the least. I still drag it out every now and then for a listen and a trip down memory lane. Good times.
    Hey, I've got "Under A Blood Red Sky" on vinyl, audio tape and DVD......I used to have it on VHS when it came out. And a cousin of mine got me the tour shirt from overseas. You're right, a great trip down memory lane.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by spesman View Post
    ^^ Not to mention that 40 was the last track of the show, so he was probably pretty knackered by that time. Hard to keep time after a long show IMO.
    Drumble, the Under a Blood Red Sky album was one of my first tastes of U2 and I wasn't disappointed to say the least. I still drag it out every now and then for a listen and a trip down memory lane. Good times.
    To be fair to Larry, there is so much that goes on in a live performance, that it's quite possible he was trying to adjust to someone else who was way out of whack. I know I'm the one who pointed it out, and mainly because I see it as an inconsistency with the idea that he has some kind of metronomic time keeping ability, but it is possible that he was all over the place due to other reasons that had nothing to do with his ability to keep time. After all, any of us who have ever played live music in a band know that there are times when we are chasing after other players in an effort to keep things together.
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  10. #10

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    Excellent drummer. I don't hear Larry's name tossed around too frequently when people talk about their favorite drummers. He's got a very interesting style and I doubt that U2 ever would have become the "biggest band in the world" without him. Usually, when people talk about U2, they talk about Bono or the Edge, so it's good to see Larry Mullen Jr. getting some attention here. In my opinion, the Joshua Tree is still one of the best albums I've ever heard.
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  11. #11

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    Plus, do you notice he's still looking a lot younger than the other guys? Definitely living proof that good drumming keeps you fit and healthy, that's for sure. Of course it helps that he's a vegetarian as well as having all that exercise. Maybe that's the secret of longevity....hmm.
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    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

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    Larry got me to appreciate playing simpler when the song called for it. He also got me hooked on 16th's on the hi hat

    Then I heard Carter Beauford and playing simple went out the door . . . .
    And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw. . .

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by =^-..-^= View Post
    Larry got me to appreciate playing simpler when the song called for it. He also got me hooked on 16th's on the hi hat

    Then I heard Carter Beauford and playing simple went out the door . . . .
    I hear that bro.
    It all comes down to what style of music the band plays. I mean could you imagine how U2 would sound if Mr Beauford was their drummer?
    Horses for courses as they say. Still, it would be an interesting experiment no?
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  14. #14

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    Have seen u2 twice , the vertigo tour (amazing is all I can say and I'm not really a fan) and than the last time they where here .
    Larry was solid as a rock both times
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  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by spesman View Post
    I hear that bro.
    It all comes down to what style of music the band plays. I mean could you imagine how U2 would sound if Mr Beauford was their drummer?
    Horses for courses as they say. Still, it would be an interesting experiment no?
    I always wonder what Rush would sound like with Carter on the kit. Technical but soulful?
    And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw. . .

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by weezy View Post
    Excellent drummer. I don't hear Larry's name tossed around too frequently when people talk about their favorite drummers. He's got a very interesting style and I doubt that U2 ever would have become the "biggest band in the world" without him. Usually, when people talk about U2, they talk about Bono or the Edge, so it's good to see Larry Mullen Jr. getting some attention here. In my opinion, the Joshua Tree is still one of the best albums I've ever heard.
    Ditto. I try and make sure drum students of mine are aware of guys like Larry and the body of work that they have done.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  17. #17

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    I was watching some videos of Larry and he seems to end shows with a short drum piece then says goodbye to the audience. Is there a story behind that?
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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by eddahenry View Post
    Have seen u2 twice , the vertigo tour (amazing is all I can say and I'm not really a fan) and than the last time they where here .
    Larry was solid as a rock both times
    Yeah, saw them at the 360o show. Before that I'd seen them on quite a few tours, the earliest being The Unforgettable Fire tour. Missed a few of them though, wasn't that crash hot about the PopMart tour. But you have to admit, without Larry it wouldn't have been possible.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  19. #19

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    Larry is great, cant stand Bono though lol

  20. #20

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    I've always liked Larry's drumming. I remember when the War album came out. What he came up with on Sunday Bloody Sunday, while simple, is very cool. That's what I like about him, he has a simplistic but very original and creative style.

  21. #21

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    One of my all time favorite bands and drummers! Great info too.

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