Ed Sheeran brings Old Phone Pub to hometown for surprise gig

Ed Sheeran performed a surprise gig at a pub in Ipswich, England, on May 4.

Continuing his run of pop-up shows, Ed took over a local pub in Ipswich, which is about 15 miles away from where he grew up. The pub, The Thomas Wolsey, has been renamed The Old Phone Pub for the next two weeks, according to the BBC.

Ed posted footage of himself performing his new song “Old Phone” in the pub. His official Instagram page, EdHQ, posted more footage of additional songs he performed, including “I Don’t Care,” “Perfect” and “Azizam.” He was backed up by a local folk band called Fishclaw, whose guitarist and mandolin player, Rory Hobbs, is an old friend of his.

Hobbs told the BBC that Ed messaged him on short notice about the gig. “It was a bit of a risk for him, given that we hadn’t practiced at all beforehand … but the faith he had in us was quite something,” he said.

Ed previously brought the Old Phone Pub concept to Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Coachella. It’s all a promotion for his album PLAY, which is coming out in September.