U2 reveal details of 2005 world tour

As U2 get ready for the November 21 release of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, manager Paul McGuinness has confirmed that their 2005 World Tour will kick off on March 1 in Florida.

"We'll play approximately 35 shows in the arenas in the spring in the US," he says. The band will then play 30 stadium dates in Europe, return to the States for a second 35-date stint and finish up in Japan and Australia.

Although McGuinness insists that nothing's confirmed yet, Hot Press understands that Scissor Sisters and Snow Patrol are being lined-up as the supports.

"We'd love to take Snow Patrol out on the road," Bono tells Hot Press. "There's some beautiful singing and songs, and Jacknife Lee made as brilliant a job of their record as he did ours."

Along with the standard version of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, there's a double CD/DVD featuring a U2 And 3 Songs documentary and performance footage from their Hanover Quay studio, and a 'Deluxe Limited Edition' with CD, DVD and colour hardback book.

"How we justify the life we've been given is to not make crap albums," Bono reflects. "I always say you need 11 or 12 very good reasons to leave your friends and family, and we have them on this album."

To read Stuart Clark's full interview with Bono, be sure to pick up the next issue of Hot Press, out Thursday, November 11.