The Tights

The Tights

The Tights are a punk group from Worcester, England, formed in 1977. The band’s line-up includes Malcolm Orgee on vocals, Rob Banks on guitar and vocals, Barry Island on bass, keyboards and vocals, and Hodge on drums and vocals. They are associated with the late-1970s UK punk scene and are described as a punky pop band with a distinctive sound.

Career

The Tights are the first band signed to Cherry Red Records, a punk label that becomes closely associated with their early releases. In 1978 they release two singles, Bad Hearts and Howard Hughes, which reach number 4 and number 6 respectively in the UK indie charts. Bad Hearts draws attention for its raucous guitar, clear lead vocals and tightly combined bass and drums, while Howard Hughes shows a more developed and urgent style.

The band splits when punk’s mainstream moment passes in the early 1980s, but the members remain friends. After a break of nearly 27 years, The Tights reform in 2004, saying there are songs left to be heard. Following the reunion, they release two EPs on Cherry Red Records: 7707 and Blood & Flowers, both available as downloads. The group is then asked to prepare a new album for the label.

Recordings and reception

The 2006 EP 7707 revisits and extends the band’s punk style rather than repeating the earlier material. It includes songs such as State Of Nature and I Can’t Sing (About What You Are), alongside a new version of the band’s earlier approach. Their 1978 track Cracked is later used on skateboarder Corey Duffel’s DVD Beautiful Breakdown, which helps bring their music to younger punk listeners and skateboarders.

Style and legacy

The Tights are associated with punk and punk rock, with a sound that combines sharp guitars, chant-like passages, and pointed lyrics. Their early singles and later reunion recordings show a band that keeps a flexible, unpredictable approach while remaining tied to its 1977 origins in the Worcestershire punk scene.