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After making his grand return from injury to the stage with his bandmates, U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. discussed his health and missing his bandmates Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton.
Speaking to BBC, Mullen was asked about being away from the band. His performance with Bono, The Edge, and Clayton on May 22, 2025, was his first in nearly five years, aside from when he filmed the music video for “Atomic City” with them.
“It was difficult being away because of injury,” he said, “so I'm thrilled to be back in a creative environment, even if I'm not 100% there and I've got some bits falling off.”
“It's just the most extraordinary thing. When I was away from the band, I missed it, but I didn't realize how much I missed it,” he continued.
Of course, Mullen missed U2's last live shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas. So, it was been nearly five years since the band's last tour, which was the 2019 leg of the Joshua Tree Tour.
At the Ivors Awards, U2 was given an award, and they also performed. They performed two of their biggest hits, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Angel of Harlem.”
During the latter song, Mullen was drumming on an acoustic guitar. He was keeping the beat and singing backing vocals for Bono. Clayton and The Edge were using an acoustic bass and guitar, respectively.
U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr.'s return from health issues
Mullen's performance is a promising sign for the band. U2 are in the studio working on their next album, and Mullen is back in the saddle.
He previously said in 2022 that he would not be able to perform with U2 if they toured in 2022. They ended up starting their Sphere residency in September 2023, and Bram van den Berg filled in for him.
Mullen's last tour with the band was in 2019. U2 embarked on a second leg of their anniversary tour centered around the Joshua Three that year. They performed 15 shows across Oceania and Asia. The tour concluded on December 15, 2019, with a show in Mumbai, India. Previously, U2 had taken the tour to North America, Europe, and Latin America in 2017.
U2 is heading into a new era after looking back for most of the last decade. Their last album of original material, Songs of Experience, was released in 2017.
In 2023, the band released Songs of Surrender. The album was a collection of 40 re-recorded songs from their back catalog. So, fans have been waiting for new music from the band.
