The Tights

The Tights were named allegedly after a Brummie punkettes from Barbarellas ripped tights.
We met a girl at Barbarella’s in Brum who wore stink bombs as perfume, we loved her ripped-up tights, umm!
Rob Banks Punk77 2005
The Tights were active on the local Worcester scene which wasn’t a seething bed of punk in early 1977 though like most places that soon changed.
The first time I met Malcolm he was the only punk in town. That’s how big the scene was in early ’77. A year later there were about ten punk bands in the area and all gigs well attended. As far as the reaction of the general public was concerned, you may as well have been from Mars. We really wanted to break the boredom and make some noise. Also thought we might get laid if we were in a band, but never did!
Rob Banks Punk77 2005
Though they approached major labels, no interest was forthcoming though they did gig
The Tights supported Dr. Feelgood and Wire, Played at Dingwalls, the old Marquee, Pegasus, Lots of spitting at the Marquee, normal amount of violence…. and adulation?.. Not really what punk audiences were about.
Local venues included; In Malvern-The Winter Gardens, The Nags Head, The Horse and Jockey, Malvern Free Festival . Worcester- The Bank House. The Golden Lion, Sachers. Hereford- The Market Tavern.
Bands included; The Vendettas, Satan’s Rats, Nula and the Nauseators, and The Wasters.We did do the rounds of the major labels by ourselves, never approached by anyone, we never actually went on tour, we had no contacts in the music industry.
Rob Banks Punk77 2005


They made two singles for the Cherry Red label. Pick of the bunch is Bad Hearts /It/ Cracked (1978). I defy you not to be swayed by the catchy chorus and buzzsaw guitar of Bad Hearts. Other single was Howard Hughes / China’s Eternal (1978). The latter is of note as well because it was the first single released as a cassette single which gave them a footnote in history years down the line.
The British Phonographic Industry effectively called time on the cassette single yesterday, when it disclosed that not one tape had been shifted in the first quarter of the year. It’s 26 years since they were introduced – with the release of The Tights’ unforgettable Howard Hughes. Perhaps that’s why the format has suffered such a drawn-out death, having not been seen in public for years.
The Guardian – City Diary – by Adam Jay 2004
Pity there wasn’t more from the band. Recommended.

“All rhythm tracks were 1st or 2nd takes, with vocals and lead guitar added as the only overdubs. The instruments and amps used were all copies, or home made. However after John Peel played ‘Bad Hearts’ on the radio, and Record Mirror made it ‘Record of the Week’ the initial 2000 copies sold out fast, making it number 6 in the punk chart.”

“With just a £200 publishing advance, the band updated their gear to something less crap….a new bass guitar and a marshall stack. The production on the guitar and bass was fantastic.. so the boys let rip…The cover picture is of Charlie Watts’ limo, the newspapers in the windows were added later. Only 4000 copies of the single were pressed.”
Best moments in the Tights?
A. Making the records, the feeling of being a part of a scene.
Worst Tights moment?
Realising that we’d had 2 singles in the top ten of the Punk Charts and no way of moving it forwardHow did it all end?
Rob Banks Punk77 2005
A. After we all moved down to London.
What do you make of the renewed interest in Punk rock now and its place in history with bands reforming?
A. It was life changing for us, and for most of people from that time. The movement will never die, because its about real issues and individualism. Reforming? Enjoy it again why not.
Above quotes from The Tights Site
TalkPunk
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