Larry Mullen’s not so junior anymore. Happy 49th birthday, drummer boy.

Enjoy this brief interview with Larry Mullen, aired at halftime of Knicks/Hawks game at Madison Square Gardens, New York on March 4.

(Click on the above photo to see a slideshow of photos from the Honolulu show by Ruth Barohn/U2log.com.)

We’ve heard from our staff and friends who attended the final show of the Vertigo Tour in Honolulu, Hawaii. Everyone reports it was a fabulous show — perfect in every way. Our first report from our I-Wanna-Blog-for-U2log contest winner, Tim Nafus, was a text message before the show that read “So many red shirts, it’s like being at a Cardinals’ game.” Funny, Tim. Tim will be enjoying some time in Hawaii before he gets down to the business of providing a proper report of the show for us. In the meantime, we offer some great photos of the show from Ruth Barohn and dish on who from the celebrity world was in attendance.

The mix desk saw the likes of Kid Rock, Pierce Brosnan, Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and his family, Scott Ian (Anthrax), and someone who “may or may not be one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” In the guest seats were Ben Affleck, Bill and Melinda Gates, Susan Buffett, Bobby Shriver, Mira Sorvino, and the cast of the television show “Lost,” including Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Terry O’Quinn, Josh Holloway, and Ian Cusick. Jeremy Piven of “Entourage” was the only celeb spotted inside the ellipse.

For the final Vertigo show, there were special guest appearances in the forms of Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day joining U2 for “The Saints Are Coming,” and Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam joining the band for a performance of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

The final word of the tour came from Larry Mullen Jr., who was left alone on stage as the band concluded “All I Want Is You.” Larry thanked the audience for coming and said, “See you real soon,” leaving fans wondering if U2 will be performing concerts again sooner than anyone might expect.

Yesterday Larry Mullen Jr. came out of hermit status to help promote a motorcycle safety booklet for the National Safety Council and the Irish Motorcyclists’ Action Group.

Larry announced that he intends to enroll in driving school, having never received formal motorcycle training in the past.

“I just hope that by doing this, someone will listen and decide to do training before getting on a bike. It’s not a cool thing to get on a bike. It’s not cool to take your life into your hands. It is a dangerous undertaking that can get you killed,” warned the U2 drummer. (Photo: Irish Independent)

Larry Mullen Jr., photographed at an anti-war march in Dublin, in March this year.

{ photos courtesy of melaton.org }

The motorcycle will be auctioned on the internet at www.gaybyrneharleyauction.com to benefit the Crumlin Hospital for Sick Children. All bidders must pledge a nonrefundable EUR500 toward the fundraiser before being allowed to bid. The winning bidder will receive a letter from Byrne and a photograph of Byrne, Bono, and Larry Mullen Jr. with the Harley.

On the New Year’s Eve show, Byrne and Clayton chatted about Clayton’s recent trip to Nepal and what’s in store for U2 in 2003.

“We’re doing another record, and we’ll be doing another tour,” Clayton said.

Video of Clayton’s appearance on the show is located at the auction site.

“I’ve found for example, that there’s usually one member of a band who is
a pack rat, or to put it another way, who has the collector’s mentality. For
example, in U2, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is the collector. From the time U2
first formed (as the Larry Mullen Band) back in a Dublin high school, he has
been stockpiling everything from the first U2 T-shirt (now on exhibit at the
Hall of Fame) to posters, backstage passes, notes from band members, etc.
He virtually has a house full of U2 memorabilia.” [ Liner Notes via YouTwo.net ]