Drumming News :
U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. has returned to the studio following major neck surgery, but he remains uncertain about whether he can handle the physical demands of a full-length U2 concert.
In a new Rolling Stone interview, the 64-year-old drummer revealed that years of touring and playing left him with severe neck, back and knee problems. A congenital fusion in a facet joint in his neck had become increasingly irritated by decades of drumming.
The pain became particularly severe during U2’s 2019 Joshua Tree anniversary tour. Doctors eventually suggested that Mullen consider retirement.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, he stopped playing drums altogether, realizing that his physical condition had become too serious to ignore.
Mullen initially planned to participate in U2’s Las Vegas Sphere residency, but his physical therapist warned him that he would not make it through rehearsals. The band ultimately brought in Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg for the 2023 and 2024 shows.
While Mullen understood the decision, watching another drummer perform his parts was emotionally difficult.
“The band were doing what the band needed to do,” he told Rolling Stone. “I had no sense of having been left behind. All those feelings were my own.”
Rather than retire, Mullen chose to undergo risky neck surgery in 2023. Doctors warned that the procedure could potentially leave him paralyzed, but his desire to play again outweighed the risks.
After several months of recovery, he returned to the drum kit and discovered that his playing had changed.
“Everything was different. My body didn’t work the same way as it used to,” he said.
Instead of trying to recreate his old technique, Mullen returned to the fundamentals and focused on playing as efficiently as possible.
His recovery eventually allowed him to rejoin U2 in the studio for the band’s 16th album, Carnaval De Luz, due November 13, 2026. The Edge said the record likely would not have happened without Mullen’s return.
“I don’t think we would’ve made an album if Larry hadn’t been able to play,” he said.
Mullen is now preparing for the band’s next phase, including rehearsals for an upcoming stadium tour. However, he remains realistic about what his body can handle.
“I’m not sure I can play for two and a half hours,” he said. “Even if I can’t play for two and a half hours, if I can play for an hour, that’s enough. I’ve had it so good that I’ll accept that.”
For Mullen, returning to music is no longer about proving he can perform exactly as he did before. After nearly five decades with U2, simply being able to play again is already a meaningful victory.
