Story

U2 toured Australia during November 2006, having postponed their tour dates originally set for April earlier that year. I had wrote numerous letters and emails to all kinds of music industry representatives trying to arrange a meeting one on one with U2 to ask if they would like to sign my work, having gotten very little help, I was getting desperate as the time came closer to their Sydney arrival. My only option was to take a chance and wait outside the same hotel I had met the Rolling Stones at, I assumed U2 would be there as this was becoming very much a ‘hot spot’ for celebrities to reside at whilst in town.

I arrived there early one morning and waited for 11 hours !……that’s how long it took me before I finally met Adam Clayton, who walked out of the hotel and got straight into his waiting car. His window was open and I asked if he could sign my work, he told me had to be somewhere and if I was there when he came back he would stop for me. True to his word one hour later he stopped for me and few other waiting fans signing autographs and having photos. I waited another 4 hours hoping to see one of the other boys. Larry came out of the hotel late evening where he got the attention of a couple of girls whom he had photos with, he then got straight into his car, my pleas for an autograph falling on deaf ears.

The following day I decided having seen no sign of Edge or Bono at the hotel, that I would be better to take a chance waiting at the concert venue entrance for the arrival of the band that night. As the band arrived later afternoon for rehearsals, along with a police escort, Bono and Edge both in the same car stopped for the dozens of waiting fans. Amongst the chaos, I handed my painting through the rear passenger window to Edge, he signed it ! And the whole time I was thinking, “Damn how am I gonna get to the other side of the car swarmed with fans and press to Bono to ask if he can sign”, and then amazingly, Edge after signing passed it onto Bono beside him to sign, then gave back my painting.

Larry arrived shortly after, his car stopping for nobody, as too did Adam.

Again the following day I followed the same procedure, this time around with Bono arriving first and alone, he got out of the car for the fans, and once again saw me with my painting, he admired it and noticed Larry’s autograph was the only one missing, jokingly he said to me, “I can do a fake Larry for you”, to which I agreed, and he wrote his version of “Larry” with the words, “fake, (by Bono). This was great ! With that he then told me if Larry didn’t stop today, I should give him a call ! And he laughed as I asked, “how am I supposed to do that ?”.

Sure enough Larry didn’t stop, he just drove straight into the venue as he looked at the fans with me there holding my painting out clearly for all to see. I was devastated but as I was coming to terms with my misery, Larry’s limo drove back out of the venue and stopped right before me, the door opened and Larry’s bodyguard told me to get into the car, I was stunned ! So were the other fans watching ! The car drove me and my wife into the stadium and we were taken backstage to Larry’s dressing room door, where he signed the work, with the comeback words to Bonos comment, “ will the real Larry Mullen please stand up !”