1.
How did the band start, where and when and why? How did you come to choose
the name - The Tights
A. We met a girl at Barbarella’s in Brum who wore stink bombs as perfume,
we loved her ripped-up tights, umm!
2. Members of
the band and instruments played?
A. Malcolm Orgee - Vocals, Rob Banks - Guitar, Barry Island - Bass and
Keyboards, Rick Mayhew - Drums.
3. Were you
involved with any bands previously…type of bands?
A. No.
4. Influences?
A. Lou Reed, Howard Devoto, Johnny Thunders, Ramones, The Damned, Pistols,
Kraut rock.
5. How did you
get into punk rock?
A. 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!
6. What bands
did you support, places played. Reaction to you. Spitting, Violence wild
adulation?
A. 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.
7. What bands
did you rate and conversely what bands did you think pants?
A. Loved to see as many bands as possible, the more crap the better. Loved
the Buzzcocks, The Damned and The Clash live.
8. You
supported quite a few name bands. How come you didn’t make it to the
London circuit of the Roxy, Vortex etc and get more coverage?
A. Didn’t have the money or support / management.
9. Was there a
large scene around Worcester? How did the general public take to punk rock
and punk rockers there?
A. R.B. “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.
10. Local
places played and bands?
A. 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.
11. Without
being too over the top I think Bad Hearts is a cracking tune. How well did
it do for you?
A. Could have done better if more copies had been pressed.
12. Why were
the Tights not signed to a bigger label? Did you try? Were you ever
approached? How did you get on the bigger bands tours?
A. 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.13.
What did the Tights want to achieve? Fame, success, just a laugh?
A. Anything.
14. Best
moments in the Tights?
A. Making the records, the feeling of being a part of a scene.
15. Worst
Tights moment?
Realising that we’d had 2 singles in the top ten of the Punk Charts and no
way of moving it forward
16. How did it all
end?
A. After we all moved down to London.
17. 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.
18. What did
you all do afterwards?
A. We all feel in love with life in London and wanted to stay so we got
jobs.
The brothel in Earls Court we first lived in soon lost it’s glamour, apart
from the fact that Youth from Killing Joke lived there too.
19. Anything to
add?
RB. ‘I was on a coach trip to London in ’77 , We were having a chat about
Punk with this guy who was a few years older than us : “It’s the same as
it was in the sixties..” he said “about kids having fun”. Stuck with me
that one.’
|
