A BAND, which is the brainchild of a notorious Britpop drug dealer, have announced they will play a gig in York later this year.

Hightown Pirates have announced a UK tour this Autumn following the recent release of their acclaimed second album - 'All of The Above. They will be hitting the stage in Leeds, York, Liverpool, Newcastle, London and Margate.

Hightown Pirates is the brainchild of Simon Mason, one of the Britpop era’s most notorious drug dealers. Having supplied substances to the biggest stars of the 90s – as documented in his best-selling book 'Too High, Too Far, Too Soon: Tales from a Dubious Past' - Mason struggled with his own spiral of addiction before kicking the habit 15 years ago. He has since carved a space to celebrate sobriety within the rock and roll industry.

Simon said: “Music has been the one constant in my life. I saw my first gig, The Jam, aged 12 and life would never be the same again.

“I write about people; some who are still here and some who are sadly no longer with us. Sometimes I write about myself, but mostly I'm an observational songwriter."

Hightown Pirates will perform at The Fulford Arms in York on October 20.

Tickets, priced at £10, can be purchased on Skiddle.