U2 rocker details life-changing health condition that means he can’t count numbers-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr has opened up about his health struggle(Picture: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr has revealed he can’t count numbers anymore after being diagnosed with a debilitating condition.

The 63-year-old musician has played with the With Or Without You rockers since forming the group in 1976 with bandmates Adam Clayton, The Edge and Bono.

He was recently diagnosed with dyscalculia, which is a learning difficult affecting your ability to count, add or use maths skills.

The condition can often be linked to dyslexia, but it’s possible for it to occur at any stage of life.

As a musician, this has proven difficult for Larry, who also struggles to count bars in music.’

‘I’ve always known that there’s something not particularly right with the way that I deal with numbers. I’m numerically challenged,’ he told The Times.

Larry is struggling with his drumming (Picture:Jason Decrow/EPA/REX/Shutterstock)

‘And I realised recently that I have dyscalculia, which is a sub-version of dyslexia. So I can’t count [and] I can’t add.’

He admitted counting bars and keeping time ‘is like climbing Everest’, and he’s trying to find new ways to play.

‘When people watch me play sometimes, they say, “you look pained,”‘ he added. ‘I am pained because I’m trying to count the bars.’

He finds it difficult to count the bars (Picture: James Curley/REX/Shutterstock)

Larry – who has no plans to slow down with U2 working on new songs and a tour planned for 2026 – is opening up about his health condition for the first time.

He’s used his own experiences while working on new feature length documentary Left Behind, which focuses on five mothers trying to set up New York City’s first state school for kids with dyslexia.

Larry’s son is dyslexic, and he was moved by the ‘visceral’ experience of producing and writing music for the film.

‘Making the music through the eyes of my dyslexic son felt personal and visceral,’ he added.

According to the Dyscalculia Network, the condition impacts around 6% of people in the UK.

The learning difficulty ‘is defined as a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers, which can lead to a range of difficulties with mathematics’.

Currently, U2 are performing a residency in Las Vegas, having been the opening act for the MSG Sphere, which cost a whopping $2.3billion (£1.8bn) to build.

Larry is a founding member of U2 (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

Bono and co. kicked off their shows in October with jaw-dropping visuals and will perform at the epic venue until December 16, but they have been playing as a three-piece with Larry recovering from surgery.

Bandmate Adam Clayton told The Sun last month: ‘He’s back on his stool. Look, we are a little bit like athletes, but have a longer shelf life.

‘Larry’s body had taken a battering over the years and his primary issue was pain. He’s finally feeling much better and is very enthusiastic about playing again.’

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