Fresh from Miami on their continuing sell-out world tour, Coldplay landed back on home shores ready to perform the UK leg, which includes shows in Hull next week. But Yorkshire fans of the megaband were treated to a surprise taster on Thursday.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin popped up out of the blue for a pared-back performance at the Puzzle Hall Inn, Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax. The impromptu performance took place beneath a fairy-lit pergola in the pub’s beer garden.

On stage he told the audience he had cycled to the pub as he was staying nearby ahead of the band’s shows in Hull next week. The appearance was completely unannounced.

In footage captured by one fan and now on YouTube, Chris apparently had a bit of a problem setting up, saying he normally had a crew of about 250 people organising everything. After a heckle by a member of the pub audience, who booed and shouted “boring”, Chris retorted: “I presume you’re not coming on Monday, then”.

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The little pub crowd, a far cry from the 23,000 people he will be playing in front of at the Sewell Group Craven Park stadium on Monday and Tuesday, August 18 and 19, were told by Chris: “The last time I got booed I was in Romania and it was by 60,000 people.” The star, who had overheard a presumably disparaging comment when he said “I like Hull, I disagree with you there”, went on to perform an acoustic set of some of Coldplay’s hits, accompanying himself on guitar or piano, including A Sky Full of Stars.

Another person said: “I could hear it all from my doorstep, crazy”, while another remarked: “I’m so glad I was on shift today or we would have missed it.”

One jokily commented: “Poor bloke only popped out for a swift one – hope his missus didn’t go mad at him.” Another said: “Why was he doing this solo gig? How cool.”