The Edge and his recent comments in an interview will likely make anyone that enjoys dunking on Bono smile.
The U2 guitarist took part in a lengthy interview with The Telegraph where he touched on a variety of band topics. Among them was his relationship with Bono. The outlet notes how the singer and guitarist have long been the prime creative force within U2. However, it noted, “With his proselytizing charity work and rock ’n’ roll swagger, Bono is a figure who (fairly or unfairly) a lot of people clearly find quite annoying.”
The Edge is no fool and clearly knows this about Bono, especially since they’ve been in a band together since they were in high school in the mid-70s. He said, with a laugh, “Of course Bono gets too much for me sometimes! I’m sure I drive him mad, as well.”
The guitarist continued, “If that wasn’t the case, I think we would be doing a disservice to each other, because it’s in the realm where we push each other, challenge each other, annoy the hell out of each other, that you know there’s something going on. If you never get to that place, dude, you don’t really have a proper creative relationship.”
RELATED: U2 Announces ‘Achtung Baby’ Las Vegas Residency
This year brings a lot of activity via the U2 camp. March 17 brings two notable releases: The new album Songs of Surrender and the Disney+ special Bono & the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming With Dave Letterman. The album is a retrospective of sorts and features 40 of U2’s most popular songs “re-imagined.” As for the Disney+ special, it features Bono and The Edge taking Letterman around Dublin and an intimate in-the-round performance.
In the Fall, U2 is heading to Las Vegas for a residency at the new MSG Sphere called U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere. While these shows will be the band’s first live shows in four years, they will be without drummer Larry Mullen Jr. He told The Washington Post in November that he won’t be able to perform in 2023 due to needing surgery. U2’s website confirmed this in an announcement of the residency. The band also announced Bram van den Berg will be filling in.
Edge explained to The Telegraph, ” … No one is more disappointed than us that Larry won’t be joining us in Vegas … The people who are going to miss Larry the most, I think, will be Bono, Adam [Clayton] and myself. It’ll be strange to turn around and not see him behind us after all these years. But the shows will be amazing.”