Bono: “I May Never Play Guitar Again”

When Bono went for a bike ride in New York’s Central Park, he never expected to end up with his arm broken in six places (part of his humerus was sticking out through his leather jacket), a fractured eye socket, damage to his scapula, a whole bunch of metal screws and plates in his body and a titanium elbow.  The incident–called a “high-energy bicycle accident when he attempted to avoid another rider”–has had him on painkillers for weeks.

Bono tells of these and other things–including the source of his 360 Tour-postponing injury on this 50th birthday (“exercise boxing and cycling, which was itself an overcompensation for overindulging on alcohol coming up to the big birthday”)–in a posting on U2.com called LITTLE BOOK OF A BIG YEAR: Bono’s A to Z of 2014.  As he goes through the alphabet, we come to this under “I” and “Irish Pride.”

I broke my hand, my shoulder, my elbow and my face but the real injury this year was to my Irish pride as it was discovered that under my tracksuit I was wearing yellow and black Lycra cycling shorts. Yes, LYCRA. This is not very rock ‘n’ roll.

Recovery has been more difficult than I thought… As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again. The band have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilization are depending on this.

I personally would very much miss fingering the frets of my green Irish falcon or my (RED) Gretsch. Just for the pleasure, aside from writing tunes. But then does the Edge, or Jimmy Page, or any guitarist you know have a titanium elbow, as I do now? I’m all elbows, I am.

You can read the whole article here.