Sans Larry ?

[bugo]

So it's official, they'll be doing the Achtung Baby show without our favourite drummer

U2.com:

"The announcement comes with confirmation that Larry will take time out to undergo and recuperate from surgery in 2023. These Las Vegas shows will see Larry and the band welcome drummer Bram van den Berg who will be sitting in to join Bono, The Edge and Adam onstage at the Sphere."

Hope he is able to come back in future, shame not to have him on this concert tour, making the sound of four men cutting down the joshua tree.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

So it's official, they'll be doing the Achtung Baby show without our favourite drummer



U2.com:



"The announcement comes with confirmation that Larry will take time out to undergo and recuperate from surgery in 2023. These Las Vegas shows will see Larry and the band welcome drummer Bram van den Berg who will be sitting in to join Bono, The Edge and Adam onstage at the Sphere."



Hope he is able to come back in future, shame not to have him on this concert tour, making the sound of four men cutting down the joshua tree.

This is the sound of three men chopping off the limbs of Larry Mullen Jr.

 

[AndrewCowley]

They may as well put Terry Lawless on stage now.

 

[ascender_RS]

It's great he's getting the surgery and time out to recover etc, so hopefully makes a full recovery.

Of course it will be a shame for him not to be there, but if it means he's fit for the next album and tour, that's the main thing (next to his health obviously but if he's back recording, then presumably he's fully recovered).

 

[DeVaul]

(still going to try and go if this “presale for everyone!” thing doesn’t screw me)

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

View attachment 13539

(still going to try and go if this “presale for everyone!” thing doesn’t screw me)

i really don't think the number of people who saw the tweets on Friday about renewing and got back in before Sunday will be a large number.

the FAQs list the cut off as 3 pm eastern on sunday - a solid 6 hours before the commercial went live.

for every person who hopped in late in anticipation of an announcement, there's likely 2 people who refuse to consider this a U2 show because Lawrence is taking a personal day.

 

[DeVaul]

i really don't think the number of people who saw the tweets on Friday about renewing and got back in before Sunday will be a large number.

Agreed. I just meant at least maintaining *some* sense of seniority. Like they have for the previous tours. I realize I’m shouting into the void, but hey, it feels good.

 

[Hewson]

Agreed. I just meant at least maintaining *some* sense of seniority. Like they have for the previous tours. I realize I’m shouting into the void, but hey, it feels good.

Basically having your subscription active before the announcement will be our seniority. Not ideal, but better than no advantage at all.

 

[DeVaul]

basically having your subscription active before the announcement will be our seniority. Not ideal, but better than no advantage at all.

 

[U2AlwaysForever]

As the band is getting older, I have to wonder how many tours are left, and I live near Vegas, so I will go... But it definitely is not the same.

 

[DeVaul]

As the band is getting older, I have to wonder how many tours are left, and I live near Vegas, so I will go... But it definitely is not the same.

Take every tour as a gift. Most bands don’t last this long.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Take every tour as a gift. Most bands don’t last this long.

Amen.

 

[Irvine511]

So … I remember the telethon after 9/11 — you know, 22+ years ago — when they played “Walk On” and my best friends older sister, who was then a new mother and was very into music when she was a teenager in the 80s shouted at the TV, “oh wow, I can’t believe those four guys are all still in the same band!”

Everything since 2000 has been a gift. You might not like it as much, but even by then they were in uncharted territory for a band.

 

[U2387]

So … I remember the telethon after 9/11 — you know, 22+ years ago — when they played “Walk On” and my best friends older sister, who was then a new mother and was very into music when she was a teenager in the 80s shouted at the TV, “oh wow, I can’t believe those four guys are all still in the same band!”

Everything since 2000 has been a gift. You might not like it as much, but even by then they were in uncharted territory for a band.

EXACTLY!!!

Perspective is vital here.

We have been in overtime now for, what did you say? 22 + years!

People need to relax.

I can't believe the stupidity. It's just mind numbing! If this were truly a line in the sand for Larry, I think we all know enough about these guys to know they would back out! Things happen- more so as people age.

I am someone who enjoys the 2000- present output way more than most. I also find the criticisms of them as "lazy" to be absolutely absurd (SOI, SOE, respective tours, JT 30). They didn't stop from the time "Ordinary Love" came out right through COVID. Then they reworked songs for SOS when they could've cut and paste like everyone else.

Some laziness.

So even as someone who doesn't buy into the recent decades criticism, I was immediately way more excited by the Sphere rumors than I've been for anything in a very long time. I'm the least tech- savvy millennial out there and even I can fully understand this is next level shit and would be an absolutely absurd opportunity for U2 to pass up.

Lost in the Apple and whatever else noise about U2 over the years is just how much they wrote the book on so many things- live shows foremost among them.

Like, all these kids who hate U2 but love these spectacle performances? If only they knew where their heroes got the idea! Pick the act that's cool now. The act that's the opposite of those Apple assholes, and we all know, odds are, they were influenced by or at least deeply respect U2.

Everyone complaining now in the fan base, and especially on here, is going to miss them when they're gone! Which, let's be honest, will be sooner than later!

I'm enjoying the ride, and I still have my criticisms. However, the negative comments have become so stupidly predictable that I can't even read them these days.

I will do everything I can to get to one or multiple Sphere shows. Short of passing on car payments, of course. If it's stupid money, I just won't go.

And I have no doubt Larry is both fine with this and will be back better than ever!

 

[ascender_RS]

What's interesting is the sheer amount of entitled, ignorant & obnoxious responses on social media. Which is the norm these days on so many issues, but it's kind of weird to see it coming from U2 fans, the majority of who will be properly, fully grown adults aged 40+. No reasoned debate, just ranting.

U2 do keep so much close to their chest, but you'd have thought the reaction to that original interview (and the clarifying comments) might have had them rethink how to deal with it when it was official. All it needed was a short piece from Larry to say everything is cool. Of course, he doesn't have to do it it, but you'd have thought the U2 PR machine would have suggested it might be a good idea?

Hopefully he makes a full recovery and climbs back onboard for 2024.

If not, maybe his happy go lucky attitude to life would persuade him to become U2's Bez and just pick up some maracas?

 

[Salome]

What's interesting is the sheer amount of entitled, ignorant & obnoxious responses on social media. Which is the norm these days on so many issues, but it's kind of weird to see it coming from U2 fans, the majority of who will be properly, fully grown adults aged 40+. No reasoned debate, just ranting.

U2 fans apparent inability to accept that they don't need to go see the band (a dozen times every tour) or that the band's decision on what they want to pursue is not what they want the band to do, is something to behold.

Unfortunately not in a good way,

 

[ascender_RS]

No idea how to embed YouTube videos on here but I see Rick Beato has posted about it.



Warning... he does bring up the SOI iTunes thing, but only to demonstrate that it was the first major release/decision made under a new management team. Just like this one seems to be.

He's basically saying the same as everyone else though - can't understand why they're playing without Larry.

Let's face it, do they really need the money? Does it matter if they aren't the first to play the Sphere?

No wonder there's mad speculation about how they've ended up in this situation.

 

[Hollow Island]

Rick nailed it. I’d love for him to interview one of them because he’s a great interviewer.

The comments to the video are just brutal. And they aren’t just sentimental: people understand how important he and drummers in general are. This move seems to have pissed off fans as much as the iTunes thing pissed off everyone else.

 

[The Panther]

This is Larry's chance to actually start "The Larry Mullen Band" supergroup and piss all over U2 with it.

Drums: Larry
Bass: ?
Guitar: ?
Vocals: ?

Or, Larry could front the band, doing lead vocals. It would suck, but it would be fun.

 

[david]

I hope Rick Beato does a sit down interview with Edge in the future. I just recently watched his interview with Billy Corgan and it was really good.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i respect what beato does - but end of the day? guy's a youtuber. his takes are based on whatever gets him the most clicks.

 

[Sicy]

Cant imagine U2 without Larry. So weird.