ONE of the worlds biggest bands played a "secret" gig in front of hundreds of ecstatic fans in the region tonight.

And one female fan got more than she bargained for when her boyfriend jumped on stage to ask her to marry him.

The man introducing himself as Simon proposed to his girlfriend, named only as Ruth, at the end of the concert. The crowd erupted in applause when she said yes.

Tickets for Coldplay's hidden gig in Newcastle sold out in just 23 minutes when details were announced last month.

The venue for the concert, held to raise money for the homeless charity Crisis, was kept secret until 24 hours before when it was announced as the Journal Tyne Theatre.

The Choir With No Name, a group made up of homeless people, kicked-off the concert, opening with a version of the Pogues' Fairytale of New York.

Geordie double act Ant and Dec then entertained the crowd before introducing Coldplay, playing their last concert of the year.

Lead singer Chris Martin delighted the crowd by opening the set with one of the band's biggest hits, Yellow.

A selection of Coldplay's most popular hits, including Trouble, In Your Place, Til Kingdom Come, Viva La Vida and Fix You, kept the crowd in good voice all night.

Ant and Dec joined the band on stage during the encore for the last song of the evening, Christmas Lights.

A blog on the band's official website said Chris Martin extended his heartfelt thanks to an "amazing" crowd.