Bono on U2’s Near Breakups: “I’m Amazed We’re Still Going”

U2 frontman, Bono, can’t believe his band is still going.

In a new interview with the Smartless podcast, Bono shared how the band had split up or nearly split up many times—informally, of course. The Irish rock band has never formally split.

However, arguments and disagreements amongst its members over the decades since the band formed in 1976 had them coming close, says Bono.

“I’m amazed we’re still going,” said Bono. “Being in a band is tricky. The older you get, it gets even trickier, because when you grow up together, you’re used to taking bits out of each other.

“You’re as good as the arguments you get, but at a certain point, when people are doing well, the male loves to be the lord of his own domain, you know? It’s rough. And you can just imagine why people say, ‘Ah, f*** this, I’m outta here.’”

He continued, “I mean, I really genuinely expect that and the band breaks up all the time. It’s the truth. Then we get back together and I’m grateful we do.”

U2 has a new box set, Songs Of Surrender, set to release on March 17 and features 40 songs from the band’s career.

As for Bono, the artist has been on a press tour for his new book, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. The book dropped on November 1 in 2021. He also has an upcoming residency as part of the book tour slated in The Big Apple.

Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage