Mullen4Prez
Banned
The logger and the rock star
Letter leads to U2 meeting
By Nancy Norman/Special to The Chief
Reporter
Dal Shemko’s letter to U2 leads to an emotional meeting between his family and mega-band member Larry Mullen Jr.
Last Thursday (April 28), Squamish resident and musician Mark Shemko and his mom Maria were granted what many would consider the experience of a lifetime – a private meeting with U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and stage-front views at U2’s first Vancouver show of their 2005 Vertigo Tour.
But the meeting wasn’t the result of a contest or a fan club. The seed that budded into the brief but intense meeting was planted years earlier by Mark’s father, Dal Shemko, a man who sought balance and understanding in the tense conflicts between loggers and environmentalists in the Elaho Valley.
Dal, husband to Maria and father of Mark, Emily and Paul, was a longtime Interfor employee and concerned citizen who died in a worksite accident in the Elaho in 2002.
A couple of years before his death, Dal had written a letter to U2 members Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., to try to open up an honest discussion regarding local logging practices and to invite them for a heli-tour of the local logging scene the next time they were in the neighbourhood.
Maria recalled: “There were extremes on both sides – Dal was trying to bring a balance” to Squamish’s logging/environmentalist conflicts of the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time when protesters were being arrested daily and clashes between loggers and conservationists in the area were frequent.
U2 weighed in on the side of Greenpeace, one of the groups participating in action to stop logging in the Elaho Valley, making headlines in Vancouver.
“I have always done my utmost to look carefully at all sides of any issue and have insisted on having all the facts available before committing to any course of action,” Dal wrote to U2. “From where I sit, the global discussion about B.C. forest practices that U2 is weighing in on has been characterized by an excess of emotion and a shortage of dependable information.
“We have all experienced the feeling of saying something without all the facts; it has made me acutely uncomfortable at different times,” Dal’s letter concluded. “You will leave confirmed in your opinions or you will have them altered. Either way you will be smarter than when you arrived.”
In April 2001 Dal approached friend and Top Hat Pizza proprietor Mario Iacavone, who had kept in touch with fellow HSSS alumnus (class of ‘79) and U2’s lighting director Bruce Ramus, to ask for contact information for the band. Bruce provided Mario with an address as well as tickets to the Vancouver show of U2’s Elevation 2001 Tour, happening in the coming weeks.
Dal’s letter reached the band in New York, shortly after their Vancouver show. Mullen was touched by the letter and called Dal at his Interfor office to discuss the contents of his letter.
“Dal said the conversation was incredible; so real – they had a good talk,” Iacovone recalled. “Larry even said, ‘What do I know about logging? I’m just an f’n drummer from Ireland.’”
“It was one thing for Larry to pick out Dal’s letter, all on his own, from the thousands of letters they get – but a whole other thing to respond,” said Maria of the event. Mark and Emily added that Larry likely responded to the letter because their dad “wasn’t anyone asking for stuff, telling them [U2] what to do, or complaining. He was giving them the opportunity to learn for themselves.”
Six months after Dal died, Ramus attended the dedication of the Iacavones’ youngest daughter at the Squamish Baptist Church. Bruce had the opportunity then to reconnect with Dal’s family and friends.
A week later Ramus was back in LA hanging out with Bono and Mullen after preparing the lighting for U2’s performance of the song The Hands that Built America from the movie Gangs of New York at the 2003 Acadamy Awards.
Ramus later told Iacovone that, while hanging out, he had asked Mullen if he remembered getting Dal’s letter – he did. Ramus then told Mullen about his personal connection to Dal and Squamish and explained that Dal had died, leaving behind three children, one of which (Mark) was a drummer at his church and in a local rhythm and blues band, The Rhythm Dawgz.
Ramus told Iacovone that Mullen was touched and saddened and asked about the possibility of meeting with Mark the next time the band would be in the area. As it turns out, U2’s next visit to Vancouver would be for their Vertigo 2005 Tour.
As the Vancouver concert dates drew closer, Iacovone called Ramus in Los Angeles for tickets, as per tradition. As if divinely ordained, he told Iacovone that Mullen had just that morning asked about meeting with Mark and Maria.
Maria remembered thinking “right Mario, right,” when he passed along Ramus’s news and Mullen’s request. Ramus called Iacovone again on behalf of Mullen three days before the first Vancouver concert date to confirm that Maria and Mark would be able to visit.
The group of friends and music lovers arrived at GM Place in the late afternoon on the 28th. Within an hour Mark and Maria were given the nod to follow the security guard to Mullen’s dressing room.
Mark said Mullen approached them with an extended, welcoming arm, saying their names. “This is one of the coolest guys in the world – I mean, what do I say to him?” Mark remembered thinking, as he admitted he was a little star struck.
“He asked if I actually learned music or just messed around – I told him I took it in school,” said Mark.
Maria recalled stepping in and telling Mullen: “I’m so glad to meet you. I came because of your heart. You cared enough to respond to my husband’s letter. You have integrity.” Maria then added “Dal’s integrity lives through my children now.”
The three talked about Dal a little. “I told him [Mullen] I just can’t believe that someone pushed the wrong button and my husband died, and that’s when he had tears in his eyes and he said ‘I’m sorry to hear about your husband.’”
Mark, Maria and Mullen continued to talk about Dal’s letter and Mullen’s position on its contents, as well as their purposes in the world and other spiritual matters. The visit lasted approximately half an hour.
“Dal would have been thrilled to know that his son got to meet Larry – and wasn’t his heart just amazing? He was so personable, ” said Maria.
With an exciting evening anticipated, Mark, Maria and Mullen said their goodbyes and began to part ways.
Maria had one last thing to tell him.
“I said ‘You know what Larry? I’m an excellent cook. I would really like you to meet my family and my mother for a meal sometime in the future – if you’re in the neighbourhood.’
“Larry reached out, held my hand and said ‘It’s a date.’”
Letter leads to U2 meeting
By Nancy Norman/Special to The Chief
Reporter
Dal Shemko’s letter to U2 leads to an emotional meeting between his family and mega-band member Larry Mullen Jr.
Last Thursday (April 28), Squamish resident and musician Mark Shemko and his mom Maria were granted what many would consider the experience of a lifetime – a private meeting with U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and stage-front views at U2’s first Vancouver show of their 2005 Vertigo Tour.
But the meeting wasn’t the result of a contest or a fan club. The seed that budded into the brief but intense meeting was planted years earlier by Mark’s father, Dal Shemko, a man who sought balance and understanding in the tense conflicts between loggers and environmentalists in the Elaho Valley.
Dal, husband to Maria and father of Mark, Emily and Paul, was a longtime Interfor employee and concerned citizen who died in a worksite accident in the Elaho in 2002.
A couple of years before his death, Dal had written a letter to U2 members Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., to try to open up an honest discussion regarding local logging practices and to invite them for a heli-tour of the local logging scene the next time they were in the neighbourhood.
Maria recalled: “There were extremes on both sides – Dal was trying to bring a balance” to Squamish’s logging/environmentalist conflicts of the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time when protesters were being arrested daily and clashes between loggers and conservationists in the area were frequent.
U2 weighed in on the side of Greenpeace, one of the groups participating in action to stop logging in the Elaho Valley, making headlines in Vancouver.
“I have always done my utmost to look carefully at all sides of any issue and have insisted on having all the facts available before committing to any course of action,” Dal wrote to U2. “From where I sit, the global discussion about B.C. forest practices that U2 is weighing in on has been characterized by an excess of emotion and a shortage of dependable information.
“We have all experienced the feeling of saying something without all the facts; it has made me acutely uncomfortable at different times,” Dal’s letter concluded. “You will leave confirmed in your opinions or you will have them altered. Either way you will be smarter than when you arrived.”
In April 2001 Dal approached friend and Top Hat Pizza proprietor Mario Iacavone, who had kept in touch with fellow HSSS alumnus (class of ‘79) and U2’s lighting director Bruce Ramus, to ask for contact information for the band. Bruce provided Mario with an address as well as tickets to the Vancouver show of U2’s Elevation 2001 Tour, happening in the coming weeks.
Dal’s letter reached the band in New York, shortly after their Vancouver show. Mullen was touched by the letter and called Dal at his Interfor office to discuss the contents of his letter.
“Dal said the conversation was incredible; so real – they had a good talk,” Iacovone recalled. “Larry even said, ‘What do I know about logging? I’m just an f’n drummer from Ireland.’”
“It was one thing for Larry to pick out Dal’s letter, all on his own, from the thousands of letters they get – but a whole other thing to respond,” said Maria of the event. Mark and Emily added that Larry likely responded to the letter because their dad “wasn’t anyone asking for stuff, telling them [U2] what to do, or complaining. He was giving them the opportunity to learn for themselves.”
Six months after Dal died, Ramus attended the dedication of the Iacavones’ youngest daughter at the Squamish Baptist Church. Bruce had the opportunity then to reconnect with Dal’s family and friends.
A week later Ramus was back in LA hanging out with Bono and Mullen after preparing the lighting for U2’s performance of the song The Hands that Built America from the movie Gangs of New York at the 2003 Acadamy Awards.
Ramus later told Iacovone that, while hanging out, he had asked Mullen if he remembered getting Dal’s letter – he did. Ramus then told Mullen about his personal connection to Dal and Squamish and explained that Dal had died, leaving behind three children, one of which (Mark) was a drummer at his church and in a local rhythm and blues band, The Rhythm Dawgz.
Ramus told Iacovone that Mullen was touched and saddened and asked about the possibility of meeting with Mark the next time the band would be in the area. As it turns out, U2’s next visit to Vancouver would be for their Vertigo 2005 Tour.
As the Vancouver concert dates drew closer, Iacovone called Ramus in Los Angeles for tickets, as per tradition. As if divinely ordained, he told Iacovone that Mullen had just that morning asked about meeting with Mark and Maria.
Maria remembered thinking “right Mario, right,” when he passed along Ramus’s news and Mullen’s request. Ramus called Iacovone again on behalf of Mullen three days before the first Vancouver concert date to confirm that Maria and Mark would be able to visit.
The group of friends and music lovers arrived at GM Place in the late afternoon on the 28th. Within an hour Mark and Maria were given the nod to follow the security guard to Mullen’s dressing room.
Mark said Mullen approached them with an extended, welcoming arm, saying their names. “This is one of the coolest guys in the world – I mean, what do I say to him?” Mark remembered thinking, as he admitted he was a little star struck.
“He asked if I actually learned music or just messed around – I told him I took it in school,” said Mark.
Maria recalled stepping in and telling Mullen: “I’m so glad to meet you. I came because of your heart. You cared enough to respond to my husband’s letter. You have integrity.” Maria then added “Dal’s integrity lives through my children now.”
The three talked about Dal a little. “I told him [Mullen] I just can’t believe that someone pushed the wrong button and my husband died, and that’s when he had tears in his eyes and he said ‘I’m sorry to hear about your husband.’”
Mark, Maria and Mullen continued to talk about Dal’s letter and Mullen’s position on its contents, as well as their purposes in the world and other spiritual matters. The visit lasted approximately half an hour.
“Dal would have been thrilled to know that his son got to meet Larry – and wasn’t his heart just amazing? He was so personable, ” said Maria.
With an exciting evening anticipated, Mark, Maria and Mullen said their goodbyes and began to part ways.
Maria had one last thing to tell him.
“I said ‘You know what Larry? I’m an excellent cook. I would really like you to meet my family and my mother for a meal sometime in the future – if you’re in the neighbourhood.’
“Larry reached out, held my hand and said ‘It’s a date.’”
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that's a great story M4P thanks for sharing it!
What a touching story. Thank you for sharing that with us; it only confirms my opinion of Larry as an amazing human being.
