IF ever there was a man who sums up the phrase "dance like there's nobody watching" it’s Chris Martin.

The Coldplay singer jigged and bounced around the Liverpool Echo arena stage last night like an over-excited puppy, clearly loving every minute.

The packed crowd responded with equal glee, singing, cheering whooping and hollering.

That’s the surprising thing about a Coldplay gig. For a band which made its name with some downright miserable lyrics ("Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard" anyone?), they put on a refreshingly cheerful show.

They’ve already done more than 80 gigs around the world promoting new album Viva la Vida.

It’s clear that this is arena-craft at its most refined.

As Chris pointed out, in a moment eerily reminiscent of Bruce Forsyth: "We’ve done 87 of these shows now and you could well be our number one crowd yet."

But it seemed he meant it. "It’s so great to be back in Liverpool, our second home," he grinned, returning to the city for the first time in four years. "This is where so many of the songs we’re playing tonight were written – in Parr Street."

Then, as an extra nod to their stay in Liverpool, they dedicated Fix You to Scouse producer Ken Nelson who worked on them during that time on Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head.

The main thrust of the show may have been the new album, with its undoubted highlight Viva la Vida. But there was also a leisurely journey through their back- catalogue, with rousing singalonga versions of Clocks, The Scientist, Speed of Sound, In My Place and Yellow, complete with an avalanche of yellow balloons from the ceiling.