U2 arrives in Australia

(News.com.au) -- IRISH rock group U2 has arrived in Australia ahead of its rescheduled Vertigo tour.

Frontman Bono said the band was excited to be performing again to its Australian fans, with the band's last official visit being in 1998 during the Popmart tour.

"It is the best pleasure to be here," Bono told Network Ten.

"We have waited a long time for this."

The band headed to the Gold Coast and were staying at the five star Palazzo Versace Hotel.



Bono, guitarist David "The Edge" Evans, bass player Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jnr were here in March, at the tail end of the year-long Vertigo world tour.

But the tour was postponed in Sydney when a child of one of the band members – believed to be Evans – became seriously ill.

Eight months later they have returned for next Tuesday's opening Australian concert at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane.

They will also play two dates at Sydney's Telstra Stadium, one in Adelaide's AAMI Stadium and two at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

They will also play two dates in Auckland in their first visit to New Zealand in 13 years.