from Sunday Times

Rupert Steiner

IT WAS set to be the most lucrative pop tour the world has seen - now it will make even more money. The Irish rock group U2, which hit Manchester this weekend, was set to gross £100m from its international tour, more than has been made by any other performers. Now, the band is to announce that is adding 25 dates to the tour in north America- bringing an extra £23m.

This will dwarf anything raked in by the group's rivals. Pollstar, the entertainment industry analyst, lists the Rolling Stones tour of 1994 as having raised £75m. The Stones tour in 1997 raised £55m. Pink Floyd made £64m on its 1994 tour and Tina Turner's 95-date farewell generated £48m. Clear Channel Entertainment, the organiser of U2's tour, said it broke all records for the fastest-selling tickets. In Britain, the sale of 130,000 tickets grossed £5.5m. For the band - Larry Mullen, 39, Paul Hewson (Bono), 40, Adam Clayton, 40, and Dave Evans (the Edge), 39, - and Paul McGuinness, 50, their manager, the tour extends a 23-year tale of hits and money. All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2's Grammy- winning 10th album, has made £100m in the past year.