1999 London Subway Special (Page 1)

After months of hard work and careful negotiations, we can finally bring you an insight into tube writing in 1999. With damaged tube stock rarely running, it's hard to assess just what gets done, and who is doing it. As we've come to discover, the following 3 pages represent just a drop in the ocean .. but it's by far and away the largest, most diverse collection of 'live' tube panels published in many years.

The accompanying text is a selection of some of the many responses to the article published in Metro Magazine.

Special thanks go out to Mr Khans for all his efforts in helping to gather a majority of these shots.


'Just 4 U London' Khans XL STD (Hammersmith & City 1999)

"Real tubes writers never die ... we only change our names .... in 1999 ... Hammersmith, Uxbridge, Highgate, High Barnet, South Harrow, Edgware, Barking ... all got the g-spot feeling .... Front Line Scumbagzzz forever ... remember ... STRICTLY trains and damage!!!" (Gspot)

"All the hardcore writers continue to fuck them up month after month year in year out and they boast about the few of us unlucky enuf to get lifted, what they fail to state is that there are still hundreds of us who continue to paint our shit so everyone can see. They might win the odd battle but the war is already won." (Sparq One)

"If BTP think they're hot shit, then how come Zonk, Cosa, Zep Take & Bones have managed to dub the carriage shed opposite the BTP HQ at Victoria?" (Loaf)

"Since that article I have seen two different tubes with Spoe tags on, therefore they can't have arrested SPOE. Also one night when I was out tagging, I met the infamous ZEAL. He said he read the article, and said it was pure comedy what they were saying!!" (DJ Filter)

"BTP have arrested 75 per cent of writers ... yeah.. Well I have contact with over 150 and 3 have been caught this year and they all do steel damage every month." (Tile)


Branes STD (Northern 1999)		Touch (Blame) (Northern 1999)

"If 75% of the writers are behind bars and theres only a 20% reduction of graff; then it must mean that the 25% remaining writers have done about 75% extra pieces on top of their own usual 5% of the deal." (Ooz)

"What a load of old tosh. If half the active writers in london got off their arses to get up on trains those btp wankers would shit themselves. Bring back the spirit of 1990 to London." (Kone & Regret)

"I dont steal my paint, and my parents are still together, come to think of it, that applies to most of the writers I know." (Joker)

"The statistics are too vague and they can't stereotype writers into having the same upbringing as the next man. As for "staying up late to join crews", just proves how little they know about writers in general. In a way it's good to see the scene covered, but not in such a bias light." (Neaz DPM)

"The police should spend more time trying to stop the murderers, rapist's, muggers burglers etc. Not these artist's who are expressing themselves. If the owners of train companies want to stop this from happening why don't they provide places for graffin?" (CH Crew)


Blink TBA STD (Northern 1999)		Vega GFS (Northern 1999)

"What they dont understand is that graffiti artists multiply. I did my first train a few weeks back now. I was afraid but i have got the bottle to go back and do more damage. One day soon i think we will be winning not BTP. We just need to stick together as one big family." (Phar TFC)