U2 is going to be honored this weekend in Washington, D.C. at the 45th Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. Honorees don’t perform at the ceremony, so those looking for a performance from U2 will have to wait a bit for their next tour. Of course, when that tour will take place in anyone’s guess.
The legendary band was highlighted in a feature piece by The Washington Post to celebrate the upcoming Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. The outlet wrote that during their interview with drummer Larry Mullen Jr. that he revealed, ” … if the band plays live in 2023 it will probably be without him, as he needs surgery to continue playing.” Considering his decades of drumming, it’s not surprising Mullen Jr. needs some sort of corrective surgery.
At the same time, Mullen Jr. made additional comments about U2 that may raise some eyebrows. WaPo writes, ” … [Mullen] admits the dynamics in the band are not the same as they were decades ago. As the ’80s wore on and U2’s stature grew, band decisions would be made by what they called the ‘Politburo,’ named after the policymaking committees in most communist systems. In Mullen’s view, the system that served the band well for so long has now become more of a benevolent dictatorship.”
Furthermore, WaPo quotes Mullen Jr. saying, “You only do this if you’re having the best time. And not everyone is going to make it because the price is so high. So I think the challenge is for more generosity. More openness to the process. I am autonomous and I value my autonomy. I don’t sing from the same hymn sheet. I don’t pray to the same version of God. So everyone has their limits. And you only do this if it is a great time you’re having, you know?”
As previously reported, the 45th Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, December 4. A broadcast of the event will air on CBS at a later date. In addition to U2, the 45th Kennedy Center Honors class includes George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight and Tania León.