A few months ago, U2 announced that their drummer Larry Mullen Jr. would not be performing with them for a certain amount of time due to his long years of drumming taking its toll on his body. But we have just learned from U2’s recent interview with Mojo4music that Larry Mullen Jr was already in pain in the video for the band’s new single ‘Atomic City’.
In the interview, Bono said:
“We recorded it in Sound City [in LA] at Edge’s suggestion, Larry was so excited to play there, and wanted to see if he could do it. And he played for far longer than he’d planned over the next few days. And I think if you look at the video, you can see his back is in pain.”
While the band said that new drummer Bram Van den Berg impressed U2 with his precision, when asked if it was tough to look back and not see Mullen driving them, they replied:
“It’s beyond the beyond of ‘tough’ It was the late ’70s, the last time we played without Larry. I think a motorcycle fell on his foot, and he couldn’t play, and we had a drummer called Eric [Briggs]. That wasn’t a great feeling, but Eric was very good-looking and Larry hurried back—he hopped behind the kit! But it’s not just that, you know, it’s a psychic force that Larry brings.”
Mullen Won’t Be Performing Live Performances Next Year Either
Last year, Larry Mullen Jr., the Irish founding member of the almost 50-year-old U2 band, broke 7 years of press silence to share his feelings about his and the band’s future due to health issues. He clarified his side of the story in an interview with the Irish Sun in November 2022:
“I really miss the audiences. I miss that interaction even though I’m sitting behind a drum kit… My body is not what it used to be physically. I won’t be performing live next year. I don’t know what the band’s plan is. There’s talk of all kinds of things. I have lots of bits falling off, elbows, knees, necks, and so during Covid, when we weren’t playing, I got a chance to have a look at some of these things. So there’s some damage along the way. So I’d like to take some time, which I will do to get myself healed.”
While Larry’s full recovery is expected to take a year, U2 plans to return to touring and recording once Larry is in optimal health. Unfortunately, he will not be able to take part in U2’s The Sphere (Las Vegas) shows, which will extend into 2024.
You can listen to U2’s new single ‘Atomic City’ below.
