U2 [ tickets ] drummer Larry Mullen has written an open letter to fans in which he addresses the problems that many encountered during last week's presale of tickets to the group's upcoming world tour.

"This is not something that I would normally do, but I feel that I have to do something to redress this situation," Mullen wrote in the letter, which U2's fan club emailed to all of its members and posted at the group's website on Wednesday (2/2). "There was a mess up in the way the tickets were distributed through U2.com for the Vertigo [Tour 2005] pre-sale. Some of it was beyond our control, but some of it wasn't."

Last week, U2.com held a ticket presale that was open to all paid subscribers of the group's fan club, regardless of their length of membership. Thus, a number of apparent scalpers--whom the band is now pursuing in an effort to reclaim the tickets-- recently joined the club for the sole purpose of participating in the presale, and were able to trump some longtime fans.

The fallout from the presale led the group to offer fans who were denied tickets a refund of their $40 fan-club subscription (details of which are now posted at the band's site). Meanwhile, in his letter to fans, Mullen explained that he personally is devising a plan to avoid a similar scenario during future presales.

"I am now in the process of figuring out a way of distributing tickets for our intended return to North America in the fall," he wrote. "The only fair way of doing this is to give U2 Propaganda members, who are now U2.com members, priority in the queue."

Subscribers to "Propaganda," U2's official fan magazine--which had been in publication since the '90s--were rolled into the band's new U2.com fan club after the group stopped distributing a print version of the mag.

"After ['Propaganda' members], people will be given priority in the order in which they joined [the new fan club]," Mullen continued. "Many people who joined U2.com and didn't get tickets are understandably angry. They now have the option to get a full refund of their subscription fee.

"The idea that our long-time U2 fans and scalpers competed for U2 tickets through our own website is appalling to me. I want to apologize to you who have suffered that.

Mullen went on to say that he hopes the new plan "will go some way towards reassuring you of our total commitment to our audience."

The drummer finished his missive by taking a shot at "so-called U2 fans who are quick to accuse U2 of unseemly behavior."

"I've only got two words for you ...," he said in closing, leaving the reader to guess at what those two words might be.

U2's world tour behind last fall's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" kicks off March 28 in San Diego. The itinerary is included below.

A yet-to-be announced second leg of North American dates will follow the group's summer tour of Europe.