U2 Drummer Unsure He Can Sustain Full Shows Night After Night

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. says a congenital neck condition, aggravated by years of drumming, left him in severe pain and unable to play, prompting surgery and a long absence that included the band’s Las Vegas Sphere residency. He has described feeling humiliated and conflicted as Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg filled in, while emphasizing that he understood the band’s decision to continue without him. Mullen says he chose surgery despite the risk of paralysis because he wanted to perform again; guitarist The Edge said the band would not have made its new album without Mullen playing on it. After returning to the stage at recent surprise shows, Mullen is rehearsing with U2 for a planned stadium tour, though he remains unsure whether he can sustain long performances night after night. The band’s forthcoming album, “Carnaval de Luz,” is scheduled for release in November.