U2's Vertigo tour reaches dizzy heights in Europe

(Belfast Telegraph) -- U2 kick off the European leg of their Vertigo Tour in Brussels with an all-Irish line-up tonight.

Tens of thousands of music fans will fill the King Baudouin Stadium in the Belgian capital for opening night - and joining the supergroup on stage will be Northern Irish band Snow Patrol and fellow Dubs, The Thrills.

The European leg follows a successful North American tour which began in March.

After Brussels, Bono and Co will head to Gelsenkirchin in Germany, before hitting the UK.

After gigs in Manchester, London and Glasgow, U2 will play at Dublin's Croke Park for three nights, on June 24, 25 and 27.

Snow Patrol were one of the first bands confirmed to join the Vertigo Tour this summer.

Drummer Johnny Quinn said Bono invited the band to meet U2 in Dublin, before asking them to come on board.

"We're obviously very excited about it, as it's a dream come true for us," he said.

The Thrills frontman Conor Deasy also said they were honoured to be touring with them.

"When we were growing up in Dublin, U2 were like the Beatles," he said. "We were immensely proud of them of course, but we were also particularly influenced by their music."

Other bands who will join U2 in Europe include Downpatrick rockers Ash, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand.