THIS IS THEIR GOLDEN AGE

U2 ARE CELEBRATING 50 YEARS. MARION MCMULLEN LOOKS AT A NEW BOOK MARKING THE HISTORY OF THE IRISH ROCK BAND

- MARION MCMULLEN

New book U2 Until The End Of The World by music journalist Bradley Morgan is celebrating 50 years of the Irish band and draws on interviews, photos and behind-the-scenes anecdotes to show how four school friends in the 1970s from the bustling streets of Dublin ended up playing the biggest arenas on the planet.

From the band's early days, they have gone on to Live Aid and albums including The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.

Larry started his musical education early in life, learning piano and then drumming before turning 10 years old. He played in marching bands, first for an all-boys outfit (before quitting over disagreements about his hair length), then performing orchestral percussion in a post office ensemble.

He, Bono, The Edge and Adam originally called themselves Feedback and first performed at a school talent show at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin playing Peter Frampton's Show Me The Way and Bye Bye Baby by the Bay City Rollers.

The group went on to win first place in a talent contest in Limerick in 1978. The grand prize was £500 and a demo recording contract.