Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 Needs Surgery, according to report

When U2 hits the road in 2023, they could be missing a very important member of the band.

In a recent interview with the Washington Post, writer Geoff Edgers alluded that drummer Larry Mullen Jr. has issues with his “neck and elbows” and “if the band plays live in 2023 it will probably be without him, as he needs surgery to continue playing.”

Mullen shares: “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.”

Until then, the band has two more records on the horizon: Songs of Ascent, which is said to be “nearly finished,” although there is no set release date.  Also: Surrender, featuring stripped-down versions of the 40 songs Bono writes about in his recent memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.

The 2022 Kennedy Center Honors is set for Sunday (Dec. 4) in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. and airs December 28 on CBS.