Bono Still Cannot Play Guitar

Months after his surgery, the rock legend has not regained the ability to play guitar.

A few months ago, Bono was riding his bike in New York City’s Central Park and met an unfortunate accident. That day, the rock world was shaken with the news that he would have to get surgery – a surgery that /4/limit the functioning of his arm and hand. 

The U2 frontman, who just recently turned 54, revealed in a new interview with The New York Times that he is unable to play guitar as a result of the injuries he suffered and that the surgery has not helped him. The Irish musician underwent surgery this past November, getting his arm treated at a Manhattan hospital.

He explained: “It feels like I have somebody else’s hand,” Bono told NYT, pointing out his curved fourth and fifth finger and injured hand to a reporter for the newspaper. “I can’t bend these, and this is like rigor mortis. But they say that nerves heal about a millimeter a week, so in about 13 months I should know if it’s coming back.”

He then goes on to explain that the bottom of his arm, from the elbow down, is completely numb and supported by titanium. He once jokingly suggested that he could learn to play with his teeth and the other hand, but there is none of that joking spirit in this interview.

Bono hasn’t been in public much in the last few months, instead speaking out through newspaper and magazine reports. There was no word as to whether or not U2 would continue if the lead singer couldn’t play. Of course, there were other members of his band who could pick up the slack, but it would change the face of the band forever.

He didn’t speak too much on his head injuries, but did say: “I really used to think that my head was harder than any surface it came in contact with, and I don’t anymore,” he explained to NYT. “I didn’t come off a Harley-Davidson. I came off a push bike and smashed myself to bits. There is no glory here.”

U2 had cancelled any future events, including week-long performances on The Tonight Show and a tour they were in the early stages of planning. 

Now, with the future of his arm in jeopardy, Bono and U2 are planning on starting to tour again – he just won’t be playing the guitar and won’t be moving around quite as much as fans are used to seeing. “This is the hard bit because I can’t play guitar,” he told NYT. “They don’t seem to mind,” Bono added, commenting about the reaction of his bandmates.