Lars Ulrich thinks U2 are the “ideal” rock band
After being part of one of the most successful bands in metal, Lars Ulrich has singled out U2 as the “ideal” rock band. Metallica have recently released their album 72 Seasons and have been embraced by a new set of fans thanks to their inclusion in shows like Stranger Things.
When discussing influences, Ulrich singled out the Irish band as a group to aspire to, telling Club Random, “U2 is the ideal of being in a band that we all look up to because of the way they function, but they all more or less grew up on the same street and went to the same schools. And they’ve all known each other, and they have the same DNA running through their bodies”. U2 have soldiered on without any lineup changes since their 1981 debut album, Boy.
Ulrich would go on to say that the dynamic of shifting power in the group is what bands should do looking to do, singling out classic rock acts like The Eagles for not grasping that same dynamic, saying, “I mean there are more versions of the Eagles and everybody else, the Crosby Stills Nash and Youngs of the world, that just can’t do this and it’s easier for all of them to go and do the solo artist stuff”.
Compared to Metallica’s dynamic, Ulrich mentioned how U2 are able to shift responsibilities around their lineup, explaining, “if you can get through that phase where you take turns steering, and leading that you don’t mind taking a back seat and have enough trust and enough respect for your partner to know, if you lead on this song, if you lead on this record, or if you lead with this lyric, or whatever, I can hover back, and then we take turns, and you can balance it.”
U2 have also released their collection Songs of Surrender this year, which features the Irish group reinterpreting their earlier songs through a modern lens.
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