U2 Cover Michael Jackson

Irish rock giants U2 have kicked off their latest world tour, and paid tribute to the late pop icon Michael Jackson.

U2 are one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their latest album 'No Line On The Horizon' ended a five year wait by fans for new material, and didn't disappoint with the band proving to be on ferocious form.

The group's return brings with it the crackle of fanfare that ripples around the globe. U2 performed as the house band on the prestigious David Letterman show in the United States, amid a media frenzy over the album.

The Irish group are now signed to the entertainment company Livenation, who take care of their touring requirements. The deal brought about financial difficulties for the company - U2 were given shares at a guaranteed price, and after the firm's worth nose dived Livenation were forced to pay U2 far more money than their market worth indicated.

However the band remain on their long time home of Island records. The maverick label grew from re-issuing reggae cuts in Britain to become one of the most prestigious musical imprints around, the home to Bob Marley, Grace Jones and many more.

Signing U2 in 1980 the label couldn't have anticipated their future success. Yet they stuck with the band, and in turn U2 believed in the label. Together, the partnership would make U2 one of the biggest groups on the planet.

U2 paid tribute to their label earlier this year with a surprise appearance at the Island 50 celebrations. Taking to the stage with Baaba Maal the band played a version of their classic track 'One' with the African legend.

The Irish band kicked off their world tour in Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium last night (June 30th) and were clearly affected by the death of Michael Jackson. U2 gave a heartfelt run through of their song 'Angel Of Harlem' before playing snippets of the singer's classic singles 'Man In The Mirror' and 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough'.

As ever, the band's stage set up was truly lavish. U2 performed in the centre of the enormous stadium, surrounded by space station style designs and a spherical screen.

"This has been our neighbourhood for the last couple of weeks," U2 frontman Bono said, greeting the crowd after four songs. "This is where we wanted to build our space station."

U2's world tour is ongoing.