Some time ago I wrote somewhat quixotically about wanting to meet FUME. For those who don’t spend enough time gazing aimlessly out of the train or bus window on the way to work in the morning FUME is one of West London’s most prolific “writers”. For those with less romantic notions on life - “writer” = “tagger” - and for those somewhere left-of-centre “writer” = “graffiti-artist”.
It certainly seems that his roots are in West London - although his “art” can be found all over the capital - including, rather bizarrely, several storeys up on the derelict concrete building in the middle of the roundabout at the South end of Westminster Bridge. (I wonder if that building is still there?) I can’t believe how excited I got when I spotted that a few months ago when on the way to a theatre on the South Bank - much to the bewilderment of the colleagues I was with. Much to my own too I suppose - albeit deferred.
Fume’s art as far afield as Amsterdam - after all: just another suburb of London
Little did I know that the very act of writing about him would bring me “closer” to understanding the enigma that is FUME - or possibly closer to the spirits in his kindred. It’s what Google is doing to society. For no sooner than several weeks after I posted the article - that journal entry had risen to the top of the search index and the comments-box provides a home for a tantalising trail of clues. It seems that I’m not the only one “searching” for FUME. For FUME (and others like him) seem to epitomise The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York - a book which provides a fascinating academic exposition into the things that fuel this movement. Novelist Nicholas Royle also pays tribute to FUME in a book review at Guardian Unlimited.
I finish with a quote from a comment on the original posting left by “cherry-lips” (who wants him in her panties). I’m sort of suspicious about the integrity of the identity of some of the comments - but this seems to convey a common undertone:
“FUME is an energy,a part of london city it’s people wont forget.FUME is history and the future and in years to come his name will still be mentioned and seen in london city.to fume and his gang.keep london alive.you are it’s energy.“ (sic)
Enough said for now.
“And if they send in the special police
To deliver us from liberty and keep us from peace“
From a song called The Beaten Generation by The The on the album Mind Bomb
POSTSCRIPT:
Just so that my politics are clear on this (and this is the closest I’ll probably ever get to being overtly “political” in this journal): If the writing’s on my own wall - then I’m angered: for I see this as an illegal invasion of my personal brand. Likewise for illegal invasions on any other person’s or institution’s brand. If, however, the writing is on the walls of dreary municipal buildings that face nothing other than the passing train - AND it’s obviously written with a love for the art that is typical of that found in less subversive forms of popular art - then, although I acknowledge that it’s illegal - I have to profess that I feel that it shouldn’t be hurting anybody. No amount of persuasion can convince me to accept that it is “eysore”, or somehow making people feel “unsafe”. I think that latter is an emotion that might be popularly accepted, but nevertheless a consequence of the sort of sentiment that brings us dangerously close to the “nanny state” that we seemingly and blindingly head towards. And, in my view, what is totally unacceptable is for the cost of riddance of such self-inflicted sensibilities of “unsafeness” and “eysore” to be borne by the commuting public who suffer so much already at the hands of the decaying public transport system that characterises the railway. The dilemma that I have yet to resolve in my own mind is this though: legitimise it - and you destroy the very existence of the love and passion that creates it in the first place. Legitimise it - and you simply get another channel to market for the Goldsmith College types privileged to have studied the academic and more abstract side of the things that conventionally define “art”. Legitimise it - and you destroy the very essence of the things that drive and fuel the energy of people like FUME. Even turning a blind eye would destroy the movement - as the challenge would be gone. Maintaining the status quo, however, leaves us exactly where we are at today - the illegal invasions of personal and institutional brands - and the overspill of the crap that you see in the work of people like TOX.03 - indiscriminately “bombing” the inside of Circle Line trains with a tag that leaves little room for aesthetic appreciation. With these things there is no win-win. But history has shown that in “art” there is no such thing as win-win. The dogs will still keep pissing on the fences of the front gardens of the nation’s good citizens. The advertising agencies will still continue to convince us “because you’re worth it” on the giant billboards gracing the sides of traffic hotspots on London’s arterial road-routes - and the sight of the blue and red glow of the London Underground roundel in the distance will continue to reassure many of us all that we are not too far from a safe tube journey home.
One man’s art provides another man’s reason to disagree.
Posted by jag at December 08, 2003 08:04 AMHow can somebody not catch the “FUME” . If he is so widespread, somebody would have seen him in the act, wouldn’t they?.
To raise a graffiti writer to a sort of demi - god is kind of dis-believing, or silly to say the most. Last but not the least, people write books about it?.…
Posted by: sat on December 8, 2003 01:08 PMHi Sat - can’t comment on why “they” haven’t caught him. But I’m not sure anybody is raising anybody to the status of demi-god. What FUME does is, in my view, no different to the sort of things that many a human being has done in the past: leaving a mark on society. It’s just that FUME does it in a less conventionally-accepted way I suppose. And in a way that some people obviously applaud. I am not for one minute indicating that I applaud this entire genre of self-expression - but what I can say is that it is the sort of work that FUME and his ilk have demonstrated that brightens up otherwise dreary parts of journeys to work that involve taking the train. Demi-god: no - but interesting enough to blog about: yes. Perhaps even interesting enough to study for a PHD?: Probably - I’ve seen more exotic treatments of advanced study in my lifetime!
Posted by: Jag on December 8, 2003 09:15 PMYou are right. FUME does ahve an unconventional way of expressing his feelings. And it probably does brighten up the place - sad that there is no similar works of art adorning our streets.
And yes, People do study some very interesting out-of-the-way subjects for their doctorals…
Posted by: sat on December 9, 2003 06:00 AMMaintaining the status quo is an arduous task. As it is, the people must be coughing up a lot of dough for the cleanliness. Would people be willing to accept a solution that provides no long term relief? They would not even be ready to turn a blind eye to it
You did mention that legitimising it would remove the very essence of the “Art”. But legitimising it would create a lot of legal problems, every Tom Dick and Harry would want to pock mark your space then. It should be noted that advertising is a form of graffiti - albeit legalised.
Posted by: sat on December 9, 2003 12:35 PMJag… in my town Chennai, political parties, govt agencies, ngos, film makers… all adorn the streets with tasteless popsters and apart from these guys there are the numerous ad hoardings. Brought up in this kind of environment, quality graffiti seems almost pleasant to me.
But in the land of the Turner Prize, graffiti does have its afficionados I guess, if not official approval! I guess there is a system in the US that allows graffiti on a “legal wall” (I am not sure where I heard this..) This kind of a system helps assign go and no-go zones for graffiti crews. Obviously, the better artists would be encouraged by this and the aimless taggers would be brought to book.
Yes Anand, that is true, there is a legal zone where the artists can practice their “art” That does seem a good idea in your place too.
Posted by: sat on December 9, 2003 10:11 PMJag is right about the issue of legality being an important one. Making some forms of grafitti legal is largely pointless because it ignores the varied reasons why people get involved with the activity/art in the first place. Some people may be inspired by the desire to use their environment as a canvas (whether legal or not), competing with each other to see who can make the most eye-catching work. Other people may just get a buzz from scribbling their tag where they know they’re not supposed to. Even coporates such as Microsoft and IBM have engaged in grafitti - under the guise of guerrilla marketing [http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/industry/04/19/ibm.guerilla.idg/index.html?s=8].
Posted by: Stu on December 10, 2003 02:06 PMThe IBM thing was a nice one. How can giants like IBM engage in such activities? Violating even the city laws..
Posted by: sat on December 11, 2003 06:07 AMNice comment there, Jag. Very well-considered and spot-on in my opinion.
I seem to recall that a lot of the graffiti in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark is allowed for the same reasons you mention, although I can’t be sure. I do know that the fine quality of the art is one of my favourite things about the park.
Posted by: Lisa on December 12, 2003 05:16 PMBeen totally out of the loop…just read about you moving to Slough and saw the video…am sorry..hope all works out well. Take care.
Posted by: Amrita on December 13, 2003 02:54 AMLise: Cheers. Yes - some graffiti is very good quality. Haven’t been to Vondelpark - but iwill try to next time I’m I pop over to Amsterdam.
Amrita: Haven’t seen you in ages! Thanks for the comiserations re Slough. I’ll get used to it I’m sure.
Posted by: Jag on December 13, 2003 04:05 PMWell, well…
…it’s funny reading what ‘normal’ people have to say about graffiti and how they interpret what they see and define different types of graffiti according to how aesthetically pleasing it is.
I’ll tell you something though, as an active participant in the culture, TOX.03 is the REAL king of London..
…I know no ordinary person will agree, but pretty much ALL graffiti writers do agree. He’s up everywhere and is PURE graffiti..meaning he has no outside influences, he writes his name and is not influenced by the work of others.…he doesn’t really pay attention to other styles. It is pure, unadulterated vandalism and harks back to the original energy from which this culture eveolved…
FUME is a don as well, and a nice guy…
Enough said.
Posted by: Dodgy Dave on January 5, 2004 05:41 PMBy the way..that FUME photo is different fume who hails from Germany…
Posted by: Dodgy Dave on January 5, 2004 05:42 PMHello Dodgy Dave - many thanks for your comment. Your argument re TOX.03 seems compelling - I can see your point. However - I have to admit that I know so little about the origins of “writing” that I cannot comment on the purity of his work. I can say that it looks really awful though - but perhaps that’s the intention!
Oh - and thanks for the correction re the Fume in the Amsterdam subway picture. I wonder if the German writer’s choice of name was a coincidence?
Posted by: Jag on January 6, 2004 11:26 AMJag: nice site. Even Fume has left his mark on the insides of tube carrriages like TOX03. I‘ve seen a few of his etchings on vertical poles, but nothing like TOX03, whose overbearing presence inside the train itself becomes irritating. He doesn’t know when to stop. Fume remains the shining example of where and how to write. I’ve written another piece about my own search for Fume in ‘London From Punk to Blair’ (Reaktion Books) edited by Joe Kerr & Andrew Gibson (http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/titles/non-london.html). Keep up the good work.
Posted by: nicholas royle on January 6, 2004 04:31 PMHi Nicholas - many thx for your feedback!
Yes - I have spotted FUME’s etchings a couple of times - on yellow pole once - and also on a window frame.
I wonder if TOX.03 will become TOX.04? (I have seen fading TOX.02 tags in some places.)
Thanks for the reference to the book - I have ordered mine already. Sounds very interesting.
Posted by: Jag on January 7, 2004 09:33 AMI thought that said ‘nine’, as in ‘I have ordered nine already’. I was going to say, it’s not a cheap book, one copy would probably do. I hope you like it.
Posted by: nicholas royle on January 8, 2004 03:02 PMFunny, because nine is my lucky number. Yes - it’s not a cheap book - but it’s not expensive enough to qualify for the free delivery on Amazon - so I ordered another book that I’ve been meaning to get for a while - which also wasn’t expensive enough to qualify for free delivery. So even if I don’t end up liking it - then at least I can be satisifed that it helped me get my other book delivered free from Amazon.
But I’m sure I’ll like it!
I’ve also made a mental note to research some of your own works. But having just finished A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth I’m feeling a little lost …
(See: http://www.route79.com/journal/archives/000140.html )
Posted by: Jag on January 9, 2004 12:34 PMI’m sure that my entire published fiction — that’s four novels and about 120 short stories — would fit into a tiny corner of ‘A Suitable Boy’, which I have never attempted to read. I have a prejudice against long books. While I sort of admire anyone who can read a book of that size, I don’t particularly admire the writer for having produced it. There’s too much stuff in the world and too much of it is too long. Granted it’s a rather clever way of assuring your book gets noticed, but it seems a little unfair on those of us who are not able simply to switch on the computer and write until the keyboard packs in. Keep it brief, Vikram. If it’s not worth saying in under 300 pages, it’s probably not worth saying.
Posted by: nicholas royle on January 20, 2004 10:03 AMwell, i can see what you think of graffiti, but do you not think that the trains look ugly as it is? with huge colourful masterpieces conjured up on the outsides, does it not make the underground look slightly more attractive?
Posted by: london04 on February 2, 2004 09:09 PMHi there London04 - I hope you haven’t gotten the wrong end of the stick here - I, personally, think that some forms of graffiti art is great on the trains and other ugly trackside buildings - and I agree completely that it makes dreary places look much more attractive! Check out my previous article on this topic at:
http://www.route79.com/journal/archives/000029.html
Fume has recently been plying his trade in the retirement town of Eastbourne. Has he started to claim his pension?
Posted by: Bored on February 13, 2004 11:11 AMGoodness me: Eastbourne?! I spotted some of his work on the overground railway between Ealing Broadway and Slough - and I thought that was going “down” in the world! :-)
Posted by: Jag on February 13, 2004 08:41 PMi think all the vandals of london like tox.03 etal should be made to wash their inane drivel off every wall they deface , and be made to do it with a toothbrush have all their benefits stopped and just given one tube of uhu a week to sniff .….
Posted by: tim smith on February 17, 2004 06:58 PMwell said Tim Smith!! I concur.It is hardly art that the likes of TOX.03 and crack head cohorts
display around town.I hope at best this vermin OD if not get struck by a train and their remains eaten by rats.
In short a bunch of drugged up scroates who, when not ‘tagging’, are robbing some poor old grannie,quite possibly their own.
Posted by: Chaz on February 17, 2004 07:42 PMnice one chaz , but won’t the rats get sick eating shit like that TIM.04
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 06:39 AMphew just been through the bowels of london again today and was glad to see that there still isn’t any TOX.04 bollox out on those walls !!!!
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 04:15 PMoh yeah , if that tox twat wants to chat , get him to mail me .….
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 04:17 PMwhere do graffiti / taggers steal their paint from anyway ?? which is the best stuff to sniff once the paint has run out ???
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 04:19 PMGraffiti vandal gets five-year ban
A graffiti vandal whose own lawyer conceded has ” a penchant for criminal damage”, was made subject to an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) at Horseferry Road Court and sentenced to a month’s jail.
The order put Benjamin Alleyne under the threat of a maximum five-year prison sentence if he breaches it. It was made despite the fact that he was not, on this occasion, convicted of a graffiti offence.
Under the ASBO which lasts for five years, Alleyne must not commit any criminal damage to property, must not enter any parts of the railways in England and Wales to which the public is not authorised and may not carry any graffiti tools in a public place.
Alleyne, 23, of Dukes Road, Chiswick West London had already spent three weeks in custody on remand after pleading not guilty to causing £200 worth of damage at West Kensington Station on May 26 this year and to having a black marker pen with intent to cause graffiti damage.
Both charges were dropped but Alleyne did plead guilty to trespassing on the railway at the same time and place and the illegal posession of a small amount of cannabis and an ecstasy tablet.
The court heard on October 29 that a London Underground supervisor at West Kensington Station spotted youths scrawling graffiti on the walls near one of the platforms at 2.40am. Some were on the tracks.
The youths ran off towards Barons Court Station and Alleyne was arrested there by police who found him hiding in a nearby resident’s garden with the drugs in his posession.
BTP Chief Inspector Dave Dickason told the court that Alleyne had several previous convictions for graffiti vandalism and these were one of the grounds on which he applied for an ASBO.
Alleyne’s lawyer, Stefan Weidmann did not object to the order, saying that it was clearly aimed at “protecting the public and public property from repeated vandalism”.
District Judge Grieves sentenced Alleyne for a month on the drugs charges but he was released because he had already served the equivalent while on remand.
He was fined £50 or a day’ s imprisonment on the trespass charge but was deemed to have already served the day.
BTP Sergeant Paul Guile of the Graffiti Squad said: “This ASBOW shows that LU and BTP will not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour and will push or the maximum penalties available. “
An LU spokesman said: “Graffiti is the scourge of our network and tackling it absorbs resources which could far better be spent on maintaining our overstretched railway. In this way it attacks everyone of our customers. “
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 04:31 PMShort Description
Why do we suffer the effects of vandalism on society? What is it that the people who carry out these acts gain from the experience and why does there seem to be very little support from the Law around vandalism until it becomes extreme? How best can we prevent this from happening? Surely this vandalism occurs from a lack of understanding of the vandalist and could there not be a way for society to teach our children why vandalism is of no benefit to anyone? We want to know your views on this topic.
Try Now
Posted by: tim smith on February 18, 2004 04:33 PMOK Tim - I understand that you’re passionate about this - but I don’t want the entire book being published here! :-)
Anyway - just cool off - give some others a chance to respond to your points.
Posted by: Jag on February 18, 2004 04:50 PMI have a conspiracy theory on Graffiti artists, for this you’ll have to see my example.
Joe Bloggs: 26 years old, never had a job in his life appart from a short stretch in the prison library. Earns £85 a week from benefits alone. Lets break down his expenditure.
Outgoings(weekly):£20 Fags
£30 Special Brew/Super T
Lets face it for a twat like this thats about it, its not as if Rent and Council Tax are high on this bloody parasites agender. Taking in to account his weekly deductions it leaves £35 pound to buy cans of spray paint and annoy the hell out of the very people who pay him his benefits by spraying the Government owned community centre with his as Tanktop said “inane drivel”. So basically by paying these fucking social misfits benefits we contradict every thing we believe in. The government seriously needs to re-evaluate where exactly our money goes and if these knobs are seen actively seeking employment then I’ll personally give them a score from my own pocket.….… Going off the subject slightly guys but nevertheless bloody spot on.
I agree with Stefan it shows what a contradiction “benefit” can be. Plus graffiti looks horrible and contributes to a general sense of insecurity in public places.
Posted by: Stuart King on February 18, 2004 07:05 PMBeing a mate of Tim’s and a driver who has to put up with seeing that tosser TOX.03’s crap on a daily basis may i offer my services the next time i am passing his way-:
Please feel free to step out in front of my train with your can of spray paint and i will look away at the last second and listen to that thump that we usually get when a bird or fox has the missfortune to think it can cross in front of us but Mr TOX it will be music to my ears!!
Barring that if he can pass on his address to any of us we will be happy to pop round to his home( no doubt a shit hole somewhere) and i will have a dump in his lounge and see if it has the same affect as his graffiti does on us.
Does he not realise that his parents have to pay to get that shit off the walls?, mind you does a twat have parents none that would be proud of him anyway.
TOX.03 my train awaits you!!!!!!!!!!!1
I notice Dodgy Dave’s comments (an active participant in graffiti) from January 5, 2004
He says “…it’s funny reading what ‘normal’ people have to say about graffiti” I TAKE IT HE‘S SAYING GRAFFITI ARTISTS ARE NOT NORMAL… YEP GIVE YOU THAT ONE DAVE… “and how they interpret what they see and define different types of graffiti according to how aesthetically pleasing it is.
I’ll tell you something though, as an active participant in the culture, TOX.03 is the real king of London.. KING… WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT YOU PRATT.… TOX.03 HAS GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF LOOSER THATS ONLY INTRESTED IN MINDLESS VANDALISM. PROBABLY SPENDS THE REST OF HIS TIME IN A BEDSIT ON CRACK.
”…I know no ordinary person will agree” AGAIN DAVE YOU HAVE JUST ADMITTED YOUR NOT ORDINARY… FREAK.. “but pretty much ALL graffiti writers do agree.” YEAH YOU MEAN PARASITES OF SOCIETY ” He’s up everywhere and is pure graffiti..” DAVE YOUR ON ABOUT SOMEONE WHO HAS MANAGED TO PUT 3 LETTERS TOGETHER AND A COUPLE OF NUMBERS AND THIS HAS IMPRESSED YOU. WAKE UP & GET A LIFE.…“he has no outside influences, he writes his name “ID BE IMPRESSED IF HE COULD WRITE HIS ADDRESS WITH IT a”he is not influenced by the work of others.…he doesn’t really pay attention to other styles. THAT SHOWS It is pure, unadulterated vandalism” WELL DONE YOU FINALLY CRACKED IT VANDALISM A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THIS COUNTRY OR ARE YOU FREAKS NOT FROM THIS COUNTRY. “he harks back to the original energy from which this culture eveolved… HAVE A WORD WITH YOURSELF DAVE.
FUME is a don as well, and a nice guy…
Enough said.
SO COME ON TOX.03 AND FUME LETS HAVE YOUR ADDRESS AND I WILL PERSONALLY COME AROUND A DECORATE YOUR HOUSE FOR YOU AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE ALL THE SHIT ON YOUR WALLS, AND WHILE WE AT IT DAVE I‘LL DO YOURS FOR YOU FREE OF CHARGE.
YOUR ALL A BUNCH OF TOSSERS.….
Posted by: Dell on February 19, 2004 09:13 PMHi Dell - I’m not proclaiming support for any particular point of view here - but let me just ask you in typical “Radio 4 Today Programme” presenter style:
You point out that graffiti is vandalism - and that it is a crime - and I would have to agree with you that it most definitely is against the law. But - so is breaking the speed limit on the nation’s highways. (How many people do have you seen driving above 30 in a 30 limit zone?) So is not wearing seatbelts in the back of cars (how many kids have you seen not strapped in to the back seats of cars being driven by their parents?). I’m not for one minute suggesting that you condone those forms of law-breaking - but society in general (from what I observe practically every day) tolerates these things. To paraphrase a counter-argument: “Well - they are not doing anything particularly dangerous are they?”
So why, in your view, are you so vehemently opposed to the ungracious scrawlings of TOX.03 on the sides of railway out-houses that are only visible from the window of trains? What harm does it really cause?
So what would you rather our precious law-enforcement officers be tracking down and dealing with? Speed-limit criminals? Children-not-strapped-in-seat-belts-criminals? Or taggers on obscure railway electric-post criminals?
In NW London - the British Transport Police conduct ant-graffiti patrols over the railways by helicopter. I have to admit that this is a bit over the top. Have you seen ANYBODY stopped for not ensuring that the kids in the back are wearing seatbelt? Have you seen anybody stopped for driving 35 in a 30 limit?
I haven’t.
And you can guess which ones I think are more malicious to society .…
Posted by: Jag on February 19, 2004 09:31 PMDead right, Jag. You’ve certainly got some angry readers, though. If Scott really is a train driver, I’m glad I’ve moved out of London.
Posted by: NR on February 20, 2004 02:21 PMLondon Boroughs have to spend nearly £7 million a year on graffiti removal at present and this figure is increasing every year. The Transport Companies in London are also spending in excess of £6 million a year, and again the cost of removing and preventing graffiti is increasing for them. The cost would rise by a further £10 million if the cost of replacing all the etched glass on the underground were taken into account. The evidence from commerce indicates a considerable cost is incurred but it has been impossible to quantify. It is clear that people feel that graffiti lowers the tone of an area, making it less attractive to new business and causing some businesses to close. The figure of £23 million does not take other costs into consideration. When the cost to business, utilities, homeowners, voluntary organisations and the cost of various education and diversionary programmes with loss of investment opportunities and capital values are considered the cost to the London economy exceeds £100 million a year. This sum is increasing each year and represents money lost to productive investment and services.
All this money lost due to some mindless crack heads. In my opinion the law is far to soft on graffiti. When a so called graffiti artist has been caught they should be made to pay for all the clean up operation then a heavy fine. May be others may think twice before getting involved.
I understand that some people have been banned from this site and are unable to make further comments.….. emm so it’s ok to write crap all over other peoples property but when it starts happening to your web page you don’t like it..
Posted by: Dell on February 20, 2004 03:54 PMOK OK - let me explain re me banning Tim from the site. Tim was cutting and pasting what looked like the entire contents of a government white paper on the effects of street crime - as well as what looked like “data sheets” of technical information and price lists cleaning fluids. The amount Tim was posting was HUGE! And it was being done over several comment entries - making this “discussion” look very unwieldy and not like a discussion at all. I banned him to allow him to cool off - and the intention was to re-instate him after a day or two - which I have now done - so please forgive me for the delay in doing so.
Apologies Tim: feel free to comment - but please don’t paste entire white papers here. If you email me the words - I will gladly put them up on a separate page which you can link to from here if you like.
And Dell:
You said “London Boroughs have to spend nearly £7 million a year on graffiti removal”
Let me hold you right there: They don’t HAVE to spend it. They CHOOSE to.
And it follows that in doing so they are CHOOSING to make customers - sorry passengers - pay for it. Now I think for most outbuilding graffiti - that’s not good use of OUR money.
If that £23 million was spent saving just ONE child’s life from the abuse by their parents who don’t strap them up in the back seat of their car - then it will have been worth every penny - and more. Just exactly where should I priorities be Dell?
Posted by: Jag on February 20, 2004 05:55 PMNicholas: cheers - yes Scott appears to be very emotional about it - but if he is a train driver then I’m hoping that the emotions/expressions that he conveys here do not cross-over to when he’s driving the train ! :-)
Posted by: Jag on February 20, 2004 06:07 PMnice to see i have been allowed back . gotta go to bed now but i shall be back tomorrow to cause more mayhem , but no cutting and pasting i promise … bi all .…
Posted by: tim smith on February 20, 2004 07:28 PMCheers Tim! :-)
Posted by: Jag on February 20, 2004 07:55 PMnot too sure it is a matter of choosing to spend money on graffiti / vandalism removal , they are probably obliged to by their contract , franchises etc etc etc and not to mention having to deal with moany sods like me who don’t like to see all this shit on our streets .…… it is just the beginning of the end really , these people and others too think they can treat the streets as dustbins and lob anything they like over fences , vandalise whatever they like .. its sad really . if everyone tried to look after what we have then it would all look so much nicer and these vast sums of money wouldn’t need to be spent out of choice or neccessity .…..
Posted by: tim smith on February 20, 2004 08:17 PMWow - can’t really be bothered to read all the shouty all-caps people, although it certainly seems like an overabundance of anger going on here. Has anyone pointed out the ironic resemblance of scary taggers to scary blog-commentors? ;-)
Posted by: Lisa on February 20, 2004 08:22 PMHi Lise - I’m not so sure that the “scary blog-commentators” are that scary really. It’s probably more likely that they are “scared” themselves … ;-)
I mean: can you imagine anybody being scared by the unaesthetic scribblings of “TOX.03” ?? Irritating perhaps - but not scary, surely?
Posted by: Jag on February 20, 2004 09:44 PMgo on then , educate me in the lingo , what is a blog-commentator … as someone already said , tox.03 is certainly not scary , just a sad little muppet who’s greatest clain to fame is getting us sad bastards talking about him and his inane shite he spews out all over those walls
Posted by: tim on February 21, 2004 09:12 AMOy TOX where are you I’m still waiting you know!!!!
Posted by: Scott on February 21, 2004 11:25 AMscotty mate , tox won’t come out , he is a chicken and scared of the rules that forbid him to do the shit he does .….…..
Posted by: tim on February 21, 2004 07:12 PMHello again Scott… With any luck we won’t see any TOX.04 crap scribbled all over the place, hopefully one of the trains has got there revenge on him and pasted him along the line. Well lets face it such a fitting end seeing as he spends most of his time trespassing on the lines. Tell me I know it’s 10 points for a pheasent, 20 for a fox and 25 for a badger but do we get 50 points for a graffiti artist.. If you get Tox.03 you can keep the trophy
Posted by: Dell on February 21, 2004 09:53 PMgood one here for graffer lovers or haters , go on this website and set up your own comment in the forum and make stupid comments , they get so very agressive its hilarious , go on for an laff , i have been banned from it now cos of all the poo i put on there … heel this is a compant making money out of vandalism so they have it coming to them
http://www.graphotism.com/forum.asp
All day Sat i looked for you TOX but yet again you don’t come out to play. Now where is the fun if you don’t give me at least 1 chance to scare the living shit out of you i promise it will be quick and i tell you what i will stop to check that what is left of your body is nicely wrapped around the front wheels of my train.
So then Mon afternoon Farringdon station do us all a favour and let me have my first “JAG KILL” then i can draw a little can of spray on the front door of the train and put a cross through it.
Oh TOX 1 more thing your mum left her change here when she left this morning and please tell her she can keep the whole pound next time!!
not many comments on here for me to slate ,, whats up chaps , come on tell me its all ok to vandalise or whatever it is you call it
Posted by: tim on February 25, 2004 03:42 PMHi Tim, Scott, Dell: there are more comments and feedback (many of which appear to be of “graf” writers) at the page where I originally wrote about FUME over a year ago. It’s possible that that page is more viewed that this. You can see at it:
http://www.route79.com/journal/archives/000029.html
Posted by: Jag on February 26, 2004 09:24 PMyou were right jag how this page is full of dickhead train drivers and graff haters.
NOW TO CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP, FIRSTLY, TIM, YOU LITTLE GIMP, I REALLY DON‘T THINK TOX IS GONNA BE SCARED OF A FEW AGEING PRICKS, WHEN THIS BRERE IS TAKING TUNNEL BOPS IN THE PITCH BLACK, ON HIS OWN. MYSELF I AM AN ASPIRING GRAFFITI ARTIST (VANDAL) AND I DO HAVE MASSES OF RESPECT FOR THIS FEARLESS SPRAYCAN VANDAL. TO SAY WETHER HE‘S KING IS DEBATEABLE, BUT NOT BETWEEN PRICKS THAT DON‘T EVEN UNDERSTAND GRAFF, OR JUST SEE IT AS MINDLESS VANDALISM. THAT‘S FOR THE WRITERS OF LONDON TO DISCUSS.
AND FOR THAT COCK-SUCKER DELL, I‘M SORRY TO SAY THAT TOX IS ALIVE AND WELL AS I SAW SOME, YOU GUESSED IT, .….….….TOX 04 BOMBS.
THAT STUPID CUNT SCOTT, I WOULDN‘T BE SO BRAZEN IF I WERE YOU, TRUE IT‘S VERY UNLIKELY THAT YOU‘LL COME ACROSS TOX, BUT THIS GEEZER HAS GOTTA BE SOME FEARLESS CUNT. AND AS FOR JUST GOIN ON ABOUT HIM BEING A CRACKHEAD WITH A SHIT HOME IS PURE BOLLOXS. AND I‘M BEGINNING TO WONDER WETHER YOU JUST A BUNCH OF STUPID FUCKIN KIDS, WITH CUSSES LIKE.…“Oh TOX 1 more thing your mum left her change here when she left this morning and please tell her she can keep the whole pound next time!!”
BRUV THIS IS JUS PERFETIC, I THINK MATEY JAG SET UP THIS FORUM, TO HAVE ADULT DISCUSSIONS ON PEOPLES VIEWS AND FEELINGS OF GRAFF, BUT YOU LOT ARE GOIN ON LIKE IT‘S FOR YEAR 8 AND 9‘S.
ALTHOUGH I’M NOT REALLY UP MYSELF, I HAVE A REAL INTEREST IN GRAFF, I DO GET ON MISSIONS, AND I DO PAINT TRACKSIDE EMBANKMENTS ETC.
JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT I‘M NOT A PRICK THAT CAN‘T STOP SWEARING AND BEING UNPLESANT, JAG MATE, I HAVE ALOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU, FOR MAKING THIS PAGE, AND MANAGING TO GET IT NOTICED BY SOME UNEXPECTED PEOPLE. MY MATES KNOW AND GRAFF WITH THE LIKES OF FUME AND TOX 04, AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I‘LL TRY AND GET SOME MESSAGES TO THEM, SAYING HOW MUCH OF SOUND GEEZER YOU ARE. MAYBE YOU COULD SET UP ANOTHER PAGE, JUST FOR POSTING PICTURES OF GRAFF, AND WE‘LL (COS I’VE GOT LOADS OF FLIKS) SHOW THEM HATERS WHAT GRAFF IS ALL ABOUT, AND HOPEFULLY SWAY A FEW MINDS.
SAFE AGAIN JAG, AND I‘LL CHECK BACK SOON
THUNDER BONEZ, THUNNY BONEZ
bonezai@msn.com (is my real address)
so writer are all crack heads? that’s a load of bollocks mate just some stupid stereotypical view. i haven’t even touched a ciggarette in my life so shut it
Posted by: hmmm on February 28, 2004 09:08 PMwell thunder flaps , i dont really agree with you and i fail to see how you can have respect for anyone who wanders about in tunnels making a mess on other peoples property … say for ‘brave’ tox.04 i would exchange that for ‘stupid’ they are very dangerous places down there and thus a stupid place to go without the right protection and knowledge of the area .… have a good day mate .….…
Posted by: tim on March 2, 2004 06:52 AMwell tim, course its a dangerous place, thats why every tom dick and harry dont go down there. thats why the selected few, who risk their lives to paint on the tunnels and embankments of the tube system just to paint to bring pleasure to the daily commuters of the network, deserve ultimate repect. The idea is to put your bit up where others daren’t. The more dangerous, the better, as there’s more chance of getting noticed, recognised, and eventually repected as graffiti writer.
To go down the tracks (or a yard), at 2-3 in the morning, with a few mates, a few tins, and a few joints, bring out some mad styles, have a laugh, a blaze, and maybe getting a chase is what its all about. The adrenaline rush you get from such an almost pointless act, is almost unmatchable. To then go past the next day or whatever, and see what YOU did the night before, gives you a feeling of such pride, all you can think about is whens your next mission.
But its fair enough for you to say to say its just bullshit, with no real artistic merits, thats just for the crackheads and poorer people of society. I can understand why. You just dont have a proper understanding of the scene, and the motivation that drives the people responsible to do what they do.
At first, my understanding of graff was quite low, but i was interested in the fascinating colour schemes, and the wild connections between letters. This interest led me to research graffiti more, delving into as many websites as i could, looking at all the books, magazines and articles i could find on the subject. I ended up with a huge hunger for graff, and a craving to paint. i dont paint every day, or even every week, but i do try.
The point of all these words is to try and persuade you. I know graff may not be your kind of thing, and im not expecting you to want to paint, or even like it. But once you start to understand it, you might be able to enjoy it. All it is is writing on the wall. Not all have a message, but some do, and those are my pefered ones. The ones that have a meaning to it, are the ones i really respect.
Maybe TOX‘S mesage is to just fuck shit up crome and black, or maybe he doesnt have one. I hear he does it plainly to get his name on the trains. Style and colour are irrelevant, his aim is to get his shit running on the trains, and sitting in the tunnels.
All i do know is, his aim is to get noticed, to be seen, to be known. Wether its by getting all the toys to love him, or all the dick head train drivers to hate him and constantly moan about his work, then he’s definately achieved his goal.
Thnaks for your nice words of support Thunder. Adult discussion is exactly what I want to encourage on this page.
Posted by: Jag on March 3, 2004 06:19 PMI have seen him age, I have been his helper since the begining,perfected my skills under his guidance and together we have produced master piece burners that rolled through the concrete jungle to be destroyed at the hands of the overseer’s of order and conformity.
Such demonstrations of hate and demonisation will ultimatly weave us into myth and legend. This is important for future generations who need a history,stories and masterpieces to strengthen their spirits in the comming darkness the beast will unleash.
To all you drivers who see with your own eyes the wholecars in full colour,in your heart of hearts do you really feel that the train is so seriously damaged that it cannot work properly or that a brightly coloured train is offensive and scary?
Or would you deny the underground has an active campaign to destroy all the colourful burners and only let the public think that graffiti is just tagging.
Drivers, we see you when you think your all alone in OUR yards…and believe me some of you have done some nasty things when you thought no one could see.
Hate on…Hate on…keep believing in the system that is sinking and zero tolerance putting us in the same category as violent criminals and mindless vandals…
WAR ON TRAINS….not on people.
Posted by: one of da decorators on March 5, 2004 06:34 PMyes bruv nice words
Posted by: thunder on March 6, 2004 12:40 AMselected few ???? you honestly beoieve that these vandals are in some way heroes don’t you ??? they are mindless vandals and thats all there is to it … stupid ones at that .….. so come on then make me laugh here ,,, wat ‘nasty’ stuff do train drivers do in their yards then ?? go on spill the beans it should be a right giggle .…
Posted by: tim smith on March 6, 2004 09:48 AMone word for what they get up to ‘wankers’ with some tatty old paper.
anyway like I said, keep hating and helping us grow stronger, you carry on rolling around in your rancid pool of ignorance and hatred against free spirits and creativity.
give in to the hate and go over to the dark side you will be consumed…
humanity dosn’t benefit from people juging and not taking time to understand what is below the surface…films have been made about this MISSASSIPI BURNING, APOCALIPSE NOW, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.
grafiti is the largest youth culture that has ever existed,it is all over the planet, it has a music(hip-hop),it has dancing (breaking) and grafiti is the art and written word. These elements qualify the graffiti movement as a culture, much more than the sixties, rock and roll or any other popular culture since the beginning of youth culture’s in 1950’s
but unfortunatly for you, I feel like many others that grafiti still has a larger roll to play in the future…
when other freedoms have been ‘spun’ into criminalities, free speech and expression become a symbol and tool of freedom and resisitance agaist human enslavement into eternal work and mental poverty.
it’s much bigger than tagging you mental monotone receiver of government fraggle juice.
DIE
Posted by: one of da decorators on March 6, 2004 11:13 AMThe Fraggles rocked. Didn’t much like the Doozers though.
Posted by: Al on March 7, 2004 07:42 PMi would hardly call writing a tag over and over again in spastic writing exactly artistic , autistic maybe .… get a grip , use ya own walls and paper and don’t mess up my environment .…. go to graphotism.com if ya fancy slating me some more , have some great slanging matches on there lol .… by the way , is it true that all that [ainting can give you cancer and tuen you all into bed wetters ???? go on , piss off , literally lol
Posted by: tim on March 9, 2004 06:58 AMthat tim thinks hes well smart, but i bet if he ever met a graffer, even in yards, i know he wouldnt be gettin so cheeky. cunt thinks hes all funny, but really, when yu still cant take onboard one of da decoraters’ valid and well true points, then yur the real prick, who aint got nothin better to do than chat shit on a graff forum, and think yu are havin the last laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUK LUL
FUK TfL
FUK BTP
FUK TIM
FUK ALL THE TRAIN DRIVERS, CLEANERS, YARD SECURITY MEN, TRACKIES, AND (AGAIN) ESPECIALLY TIM
Hi all.
At 0400 the other morning a train passing through Loughborough Junction at speed found there were 4 lads graffitiing on the track in front of him. The driver had no way of stopping, one artist died, another was struck and two just managed to scramble on to the platform in time. It could have been so much worse. I have read what you so called artists have to say and some points I agree with, some graffiti is colourful and looks like a lot of time has been put in to it, but lets face it just spraying a name is not and to me just looks a mess. But thats just my opinion.
My thoughts go out to the driver and his family who now have to live with this, some drivers never get over an incident like this even though there was nothing they could do to prevent it, and also to a family who have lost a son.
To quote Thunder 02 March “To go down the tracks (or a yard), at 2-3 in the morning, with a few mates, a few tins, and a few joints, bring out some mad styles, have a laugh, a blaze, and maybe getting a chase is what its all about. The adrenaline rush you get from such an almost pointless act, is almost unmatchable. To then go past the next day or whatever, and see what YOU did the night before, gives you a feeling of such pride, all you can think about is whens your next mission.
This graffiti artist has now had his last few tins with mates, last joint, last mad styles, last blaze, and definatley last chase. There will no longer be another adrenaline rush for this person and all for what, something even you call an almost pointless act. There will be no more mission
So as for your last comment Thunder may be we should look to see if anyone has the last laugh.
In my opinion A sad day for both sides of the argument.….
Posted by: Dell on March 11, 2004 06:41 PMthunder
how eloquent you are .… spose i should say ‘fuk u2’ but i guess that is giving your daft views some credibility .… remember those railway people are just doing their jobs , you really wouldn’t want to see cut up graffers on the line when they have been hit by a train i can assure you .… take care
to mr thunder. fuk this fuck that fuck your mum. lets get one thing straight all these people are only doing their jobs and without them graff would not exist. stop running your mouth.go out get up and fuckin shut up.
Posted by: andy on March 11, 2004 11:57 PMYou guys are totally missing the point.
Most graffiti writers are ONLY interested in other writers seeing their work. It’s all about the association, and the cahllenge. To see a tag and think: ‘He’s been here!’ or to see a throw in a sketchy place and have respect.
There are different schools of thought in Graffiti. The hardcore are all about racking paint and destroying large areas. Goaing ‘all-city’. Others are all about risky throws and pieces. In oreder to be king you gotta do BOTH.
Tim and your train driver buddies- Get over it! Please! It’s so not worth worrying yourselves over- so donb’t bother. None of the writers you are dissing will A) read this blog or B) give a fuck- you’re only making me want to go out and paint more by getting so worked up over this.
I ws in Barcelona recently- a country with a very high standard of ‘street art’ and no graffiti problem. Why? Because certain areas (run down building sites, city hoardings, train stations) are virtually ‘legal’ graffiti spots. There’s so much work put up over any weekend, the cops don’t waste their time arresting people there. The result is that graff becomes more accessible to artists that would otherwise not get started in the scene- and the overall quality goes way, WAY up.
Anywhere else in Europe has vibrant, full colour pieces that do not follow the graffiti slant. The problem with the UK is the stigma that is attached to graffiti- 90% of it is boring tracksides in chrome and black… If graffiti was easier to do in certain areas, more people would take time over their paintings there and only the hardcore would bomb heavily.
Graffiti is the same as any social group- It’s always a handfull of toys that bring the rest of the group down… There are a lot of writers mentioned here that are very well respected, and valuble members of the graffiti movement. Raising the game for other artists.
Check the following for different graff content:
www.woostercollective.com
www.ekosystem.org
www.12ozprophet.com
Peace out
-=mY5t0n3=-
Posted by: MYSTONE on March 13, 2004 01:39 AMPS- sorry for any typo’s.… I’m a bit baked- Also RIP to those dudes the other night at Loughborough. Not good at all :(
-=mY5t0n3=-
Posted by: MYSTONE on March 13, 2004 01:47 AMPS- http://www.graphotism.com/forumDetail.asp?fid=921
Does that fit your graffiti typecast, haters?
-=mY5t0n3=-
Posted by: MYSTONE on March 13, 2004 01:57 AMDead tagger at LJ, oh well :)
Posted by: Driver on March 13, 2004 05:11 PMY do ppl have 2 moan graffiti is an expression of ppls lives and wat harm does it cause at all some abandoned buildings oh well shame. It is an artistic statment and will always be with us they are never gonna stop it there are 2 many artists. Graffers respect people like TOX and FUME because they r out there hitting the scene. RIP_all the riters who have lost their lives.
Posted by: (~******~) on March 14, 2004 07:09 PMI agree, yo- At least graffiti is a challenging and creative expression… more constructive than other street crime, that’s for sure.…
Posted by: MYSTONE on March 16, 2004 02:01 AMthe only reason it had to be ‘fuk this and fuk that’ was cos you pricks wouldn’t stop talkin like graffs shit. im bored of tryin to influence your view/persuade. although, im kinda happy that dell can accept my (and others’) points. and of course its never good ot lose fellow writers, and RIP to them, and any others
Posted by: thunder on March 16, 2004 07:19 PMwhat a sad comment DRIVER makes. Th eloss of someones life is not something to be laughed at what would u ave said if it was sme1 following their hobby that died like rock climbing or smefink graffiti is like dat it is a hobby but not a hobby widout risks. People like DRIVER are disrespectful 2 da dead and should ave more respect and know better
Posted by: GRAFFITIARTIST2004 on March 19, 2004 05:02 PMyeah thats so fukin true bruv, all the other dicks like DEL TIM and others have no respect for us and what we do. so why should we RESPECT their trains. ha ha ha!! but RIP to all the yard soldiers who lost their lives prematurely!!
Posted by: bonez on March 19, 2004 06:11 PMI agree, yo- At least graffiti is a challenging and creative expression… more constructive than other street crime, that’s for sure.…**** quote .. so you are putting street crime in the same bag as graff then , just that is is ’ challenging and creative’ ha ha ha not looked at this for a week or so , but i have to say there is a whole pile of shit being written there really is .… i was on a number of trains through various terminals of london yesterday and most of what you guys describe is NOT on unused buildinds , they are very much used , it is drivel meaningless words/tags and NOT art. I was on a south central train , and one carriage was absolutely bombed with marker pen tags all over everything , windows , tables ceiling the lot … i challenge ANYONE to justify that and class it as art / urban art . its not even good vandalism … you lot really should be ashemed of yourselves and i am sure when you are older and more mature you will look back at the messes you made and regret it terribly .……
Posted by: tim on March 20, 2004 07:16 AMquite , no respect for hooded scrotes who make everyones life a misery - you cunts yard soldiers , ha ha ha ha ha ha , they shouldn’t fucking well be there , it serves them right if they get mashed up by a train . i just feel sorry for the drivers that are caught up in this and the medical services who have to clear the mess up .……
Posted by: tim on March 20, 2004 07:19 AMto all mans that think graffers are soldiers or gangsters- grow the fuck up. graff is about damage and if it werent it wouldnt happen. if you wanna paint nice murals go down the piece park and leave the damage to the true vandals. we love it when we destroy. if you want art go to a fuckin gallery. and to tim- you are right- we fuck it up cos we like it and dont deserve respect. if you wanna go out on lines you take the consequences.
Posted by: andy on March 20, 2004 10:56 PMwhat yur sayin is quite true andy, but aren’t yu even remotely interested in bringin sum ART out on the trains, rather than ust damage and bombs?? sure every graffer loves to see a destroyed carriage, but thats really jus because we know how much the public hate it. but yu yurself, must like pieces and burners aswell, or are yu TOX 04??
Posted by: bonez on March 21, 2004 11:00 AMbones. all im sayin is that im tired of graffers trying their bollocks off. if people dont like it they dont like it and they aint gonna be convinced that its some kind of artistic bollocks.what the fuck are all these pussies getting pissed about.if everybody liked it and accepted it, it wouldnt exist.lets call a spade a spade.vandalism is what it is. if you wanna be an artist get a fuckin easel. if you dont destroy you aint a fuckin writer.
Posted by: andy on March 21, 2004 11:51 AMi like a bit of true vandalism and bare damage, but bruv, that aint the only type of graff. graff is bigger than that. graff has many different mediums, the most popular and well known, is of course the trains. but what yur sayin is that those mans that painted full colour olecars, takin 8-10 hours to pull off, isnt really graffiti,cos graffiti is about damage. which is true in the sense that is supposed to be colourful, bold, noticeable, respectable, original, not just thoughtless destruction, but a beautifully controlled expression of what yu think looks good, what yu appreciate, and what yur proud of.
so for yu to be proud of bombs all over the car, then maybe yur expectations and aims arent high enough, or yu jus want yur name to be known. whether its as a ‘prck who covers the carridges in spray paint scrawlings’, or to be known as ‘the one who paints the best, imaginative, worlds of connecting letters, clouds and grimey characters, almost unbelievabley painted withspray paint, all in the most detailed applications.
ABIT LONG WINDED, BUT IM TRYIN TO GET YU TO SAY THAT GRAF IS AS MUCH ABOUT THE CREATIVITY AND ART, AS IT IS ABOUT DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION.
PEACE BRUV
Its about both sides its about hittin it up and doin the odd dub full colour piece dats wat ppl get da respect 4. Dnt know wat complainin 4 dubs and pieces on the way up 2 london make it a more interestin jouney instead of da dull gray buildings and advertising.
Posted by: GRAFFITIARTIST2004 on March 21, 2004 04:20 PMtake your head out the clouds bruv. when was the last time you saw a whole car runner on LU? an as for mans spendin 8-10 hours in yard-fuck off. if you wanna sit at home with your pretty pictures and show your friends and family what a clever little artist you have been-fair enough-well done boy.but fuck shit up-proper-your name up everywhere is the way to get remembered. i aint no fuckin artist im a destructive vandal.full stop.
for the vandals.DODO:ANO:HOTROD CC:and especially my mans ENZO who fucked them northern windows good and proper.
andy r u tlkin 2 me yeah enzo is well known and has da respect but ppl also get respect 4 doing dubs and pieces look at insa aztec and illegal graffers like dfie fume take and all dem headz they get bare respec 4 da stuff they do as well. On da subject of enzo i gotta lot of respect 4 the guy cus almost every tube window i see has been scribed by him he is probs 1 of da best well known in london. Dya know him personally well before he got sent to prison is he out yet?
Posted by: GRAFFITIARTIST2004 on April 2, 2004 02:07 PMBARE MANZ BE ALL OUT GRAFFIN UP THE TRAIN!
I WRITE ‘DREAD 1’ ANYONE SEEN MY TAG I ALL UP AT SUNBRY TRAIN STATION
GET ME! I GOTZ THE SKY BLUE PAINT MARKER!
Posted by: DJ BAREMANZ on April 4, 2004 04:14 AMHa ha ha ha! Baremanz - what a loser! Need to come on here and ask “Has anyone seen my tag ?”
Hahahahahahahaah
Bloody hilarious!!!
Loooooooser!
DREAD 1 sme 1 down my ends writes dreds jus thought u wuld like 2 know he is up quite a lot. U anyfink 2 do wid him.South east london is my area
Posted by: GRAFFITIARTIST2004 on April 4, 2004 05:18 PMi like it, it breaks up the concrete we all worship.
fav fume? somewhere on the pink line between royal oak/paddington?? FUME capital letters sized over a 3 story wall. there will be future civilisations digging london up in thousands of years time wondering what and when was fume…
Yeah, Ok Titran. That’ll happen.
Knob.
sponge:
shit off ratbrain. if the power didn’t want the concrete vandal’d those that paint it would have been rounded up long ago. but paint on concrete has been equated to install fear in the 9-5 drones so those that paint get to carry on. those that spray might fully believe their righteousness and desire to express themselves as free beings but the reality is they are only serving the beast. and any sprayers out there if you really want to screw the system, then start leaving “fuck the zionists” and “fuck freemasons” messages all over, esp bobby houses.
Titran:
That was just a bunch of nonsense half-words put down in a random order.
Here’s some more;
life get you clueless a don’t you why monosyllabic scumfuck.
Actually, you’re right. This rocks. I think I’ll go and spray that somewhere.
Hahahahahaha.
Bell-fucking-end.
why fuk zionists and freemasons? whats that all about?
Posted by: bonez on April 10, 2004 08:25 PMTitran - that made more sense than your first post.
Titran=twattytwattwat
looooser.
We know whose cock you suck UpTight
Posted by: innit on April 16, 2004 06:16 PMmore incoherant shite.
Posted by: balls on April 17, 2004 07:03 AMsee tox got off very lightly and is already scrawling his shite all over london again … is the bloke mental , should make him lick it off with his tongue the retarded twat
Posted by: tanktoptim on April 27, 2004 02:39 PMHere is the press release regarding TOX.03 from London Underground:
http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/pressreleases/0404/23.asp
Posted by: Jag on April 30, 2004 06:53 AMTOX is well lucky
Posted by: QQ on May 4, 2004 06:23 PMTOX is a turd
Posted by: boobies on May 8, 2004 01:05 PMDoes anyone know of any descent London graff websites. I have’nt seen anything special since capital damage shut down.
Posted by: QQ on May 8, 2004 01:23 PMWhy don’t you create a website you total handpump ?
Get off your arse instead of leaching of others.
you knob-end
innocentcrimez.com
Posted by: Fatso on May 9, 2004 04:44 PMlondonunderworld.vze.com
Posted by: Fatzo! on May 9, 2004 04:56 PMIf you want to get deppressed about the state of the British graff scene then just read the Graphotism forum. Its a constant reminder of some of the clueless toys you get in the scene nowadays.
thanx Fatzo, sorry 4 leaching off you
Posted by: handpump (QQ) on May 10, 2004 03:21 PMNice one QQ - you’re a good guy! :-)
Posted by: clapclap on May 10, 2004 07:39 PMoh yeah graphotism is full of right ‘handpumpers’ lol went to hackbridge the other week to go and paint shit on their shop window, see how they like being vandalised but couldn’t seee it.i assume they are ashemed of the filth they promote and have no shop frontage or anything like that .… bunch of spazzers , anyone care to comment >??
Posted by: tim on May 13, 2004 06:15 AMQQ, What do think about the internet and what it has done to graffiti, I think its made it to easily accesable. Any one can know whats going on in the scene and whos doing what without actaully doing it themselves. What happened to the good old days when you would spend a whole day watching the trains just to c one dub or some damage, or nothing.
Posted by: Fatzo on May 15, 2004 04:09 PMI definetly know what u mean about it being a bit too easily accesable. And i did like the dayz of watching the trainz everday and having underground videos and mags passed round cos ther was only a couple of copies. But you’ve also got to thank the internet alot you can find out about whats going on all over the world and can see trainz from all over the world. But it does give toys the chance to copy styles from all over the world. But it does,nt matter because of how much it helps real writers and out in the city theres always gonna be a division between toys and writers. But it has helped to produce alot of writers who love talking about it but din’t actually do it.
Posted by: QQ on May 16, 2004 03:48 PMOh yeh and Tim, y do you bother writing on this forum. leave this to the people who are’nt particularly fans of looking at blank walls and trains.
Posted by: QQ on May 16, 2004 03:52 PMi dont see why people have such a problem with TOX - ye so it a bit sad to spray your tag absolutely everywhere in london but maybe he has nothing better to do. maybe he (or she i guess) is a lonely, parentless, friendless, familyless boy/girl or granny/grandad.
i really want to meet this person though, i find TOX quite amusing on the hammersmith and city line every morning.
HE - Tox (aka: Daniel Halpin) has a mother and father.
Perhaps he’s just a clueless little feck with 3 brain cells.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
burrrrrrrgers
tox is just a retarded mutha fukka who costs the london authorities and transport companies millions of pounds to clean his shitty mess up. i was down in the tunnels at moorgate the other day and looked in those dark miserable holes and wondered why anyone would want to wander down there with all the rats and junkies and low life just to do that .… a place for trains only i would say … bet that tox geezer is all pasty and wears one of those scrote hoods and probably appears on this website that rather amuses me www.chavscum.com give it a read it is well worth it .….. cya scummers
Posted by: tanktoptim on July 11, 2004 05:37 PMfume sux
Posted by: brigz on July 22, 2004 09:37 AMfume sux
Posted by: brigz on July 22, 2004 09:37 AMWhat?u mean people dont like graffiti?in that case i think writers across the country will put an end to their activities, oh no wait, writers dont give a shit what narrow minded nobodies like tim and scott think.
It’s a subculture, it feeds off being disliked, it feeds off being talked about so much yet never being understood, it feeds off angry train drivers and BTP workers coming on discussion boards like this and bitching. Writers do what they want, how they want, when they want and where they want for an infinite amount of reason and that wont ever be stopped in my eyes.
Finally, graffiti artists aren’t crackhead tramps, crackhead tramps have no true sense of identity, graffiti artists do.
well well well.
could we please get back to the original subject?
WHERE IS FUME? why did he stop writing/ has he even stopped and who the hell is he really?
This guy is in Fume’s crew.
His crew is without doubt the most legendary in the UK, and I would say the world. The Dubstars.
When one thinks of writers, one thinks of names like TEACH, ZOMBY, FUME, ZONK. Going further back, SHUTO, 72, SUB1. The pioneers, the decorators. Some of them are infamous, some famous. A lot of their legacy is fading fast. Work from the peak of their careers is fading fast.
Posted by: some1 on August 22, 2004 10:45 PMHi Some1, thanks for your most eloquent comment!
You talk of a “coming darkness (that) the beast will unleash” - what do you mean by this?
And what “nasty things” have drivers done in your yards? things that they thought no-one would see? I am intrigued!
Have you really been “guided” by FUME? Surely he must have seen this page - why do you think he hasn’t responded himself? I have too many questions like this! :-)
The legacy might be fading - but the interest is still there - especially from my point of view!
Many thanks to you “some1” - for taking the time to comment here.
Posted by: Jag on August 22, 2004 10:59 PMThat wasn’t me. I was quoting an earlier comment by one of ‘da decorators’ that had not been noticed. I simply reposted the comment and added my own views. I am not in DDS but in my opinion Fume’s crew is even more legendary than the man himself. He didn’t even found it.
Posted by: some1 on August 23, 2004 02:51 PMfume is everywhere legal and illegal subways bridges sheperds bush market and portabello market and on a40.… he writes everywhere in west london kl its amazing sumtimes he scribbles n sometimes he shoes his talent his other tags are agro, nigaz, koola, zonk and zombie he started in 1997 at or before then and he is still going on.….
narc risks his life graffitiyiin on abandon buildings and trains and vans hes kool he started in 1999 i think his graffa mate is bik lol kool
tox o3 has been arreasted writing all over subways n trains n tunnels there ara loads of them they are cre there lara hosae dbug cgo and more they are the biggest and are incredible they only squiggle which is crap but you should see where they do it.….
i know loads of crews that do graff well so email me if u want information i can sell graffiti information printed very well including photographs and a piece of my work mi email is blaze02691@hotmail.com
Posted by: blaze on August 23, 2004 03:05 PMWhat the fuck is that?
>>>his other tags are agro, nigaz, koola, zonk and zombie he started in 1997 at or before then and he is still going on.….
Those are not his aliases.
Posted by: some1 on August 23, 2004 04:26 PMok, get rid of some of your bollocks comments, fume is NOT: zonk, koola (its kooza), nigaz is touch dds not fume, hes not zonk or zomby. if you want to meet him, look for relik stw because fume put him in his crew (tsb), relik is in stw and if you know any people in fv or sb im sure u can meet him, by the way, fume doesnt want to meet you because you are a pum.
Posted by: a_per_sn on August 23, 2004 04:57 PMikap
Posted by: no on September 10, 2004 02:39 PMbumrape
Posted by: no on September 10, 2004 02:41 PManal intrustions made by banksy - paki
Posted by: no on September 12, 2004 07:04 PMAs somebody standing from a distance watching all of the pieces go up one by one I have come across Fume’s work and indeed a lot of DDS artwork and always admired the creative skill and artistic license put into making some outstanding pieces.
On the other hand I have also witnessed the horendous attrocities vandals like TOX have created. TOX is not a graffiti artist - just a tagger and he can’t even do that well.
Posted by: Ashley on September 25, 2004 12:53 PMYou people don’t know shit. I’ve been with my crew for more than 10 years. Graffing is my life. Its my world… Leave it alone. Don’t go tracking down FUME. He tracks you down…
Posted by: ATS on November 12, 2004 05:25 PMdime one repping basingstoke england,now in thailand roking with local bangkok artist rize 1
Posted by: dimer one on December 11, 2004 02:09 PMwho has seen the graffer enzo from a click called ugr i heard he plots in battersea i do not no if this is true sum 1 get bak i want 2 no
Posted by: blorn on December 12, 2004 04:59 PMhey guys,
i didn´t read the whole blabla, but the piece shown on the amsterdam subway is done by the german fume not the london dude! if anybody already wrote it down forget about this posting!
peace
fuk all of u. fume reks the system end of
Posted by: conz on January 15, 2005 10:29 PMyo im a writer from basingstoke, i didnt think dime was writin BANGKOK?!? where’d u get that from? and y does every1 on here pretend to b intelligent or hard? jag’s the only one who seems to be able to string together an intelligent comment…
Posted by: Daniel on January 18, 2005 02:45 PMAround Acton there’s this twat who goes around spraying ‘2Joke N.N.’ everywhere. It’s not even a proper decorative tag or anything, just a silly-as-fuck namesake which sounds like something a ten year-old would call himself for a week.
FUME’s stuff is the true shit (shit as in ‘the bomb’!) His work just oozes charisma and character. The sheer vibrance of his writings are actually a pleasure to watch from inside the clacking trains. I say keep up the good work, wherever the guy may be!
But this 2Joke guy.. what a fucking cum drip. At least FUME and, dare I say it, TOX, have a nametag that sounds cool when said out loud. But 2Joke? Bloody ‘ell. A joke indeed. Go back to primary school or get run over by a train, fuckwit. Or better yet, stop scrawling your bloody tag all over Acton! It’s bad enough as it is in this shithole..
//rant over!
Posted by: stopthecrapdap on January 26, 2005 10:11 PMHEY ‘SOME1’ FUME DOINT WRITE ZONK! NO CONNECTION BLUD. HE DONT WRITE ‘NIGAZ’ ETHIER, FUME IS MOROCAN!
Posted by: REKZ 749 on February 8, 2005 11:23 PMIts amazin that fume has caused a stir like this, i met him once at a squat party in town. Just another raver with the DDS crew painting the town black and white, ha ha ha. He must have done some bird by now!
Posted by: Radge on February 16, 2005 01:21 AMNo one seems to mention SUB or SUBWAY, i heard he was the main man in DDS and was around from the early nineties.…… Times move fast!
Posted by: Radge on February 16, 2005 01:33 AMha ha ha!
Fume has so many urban myths written about him. apparently he’s morroccan, at the same time african, used both his hands when he got op, was actaully every single member of DDS by himself
i heard he’s 8ft tall and has machine guns for arms
Posted by: jj on February 18, 2005 03:23 PMFume is the baddest writer i have ever seen he is or has shall i say killed the graff scene hes the type of writer like zonk and zombie that every writer looks up 2!I say keep the shit goin fume!Its too bad there are too many toys running around with silly tags not contributing anything to the graff scene just promoting beef!!Silly toys!!!!!!!!!
Hold it every1!!!!!!!!’Specially the graff heads doin their thing
Yeah, I remember SUB1.. But speaking of older graf artists from the 1990s, does anyone remember BOZ or BOZO from the very old days - like, 1992 or sometime?
That’s the old school right there!
Posted by: stopthecrapdap on February 24, 2005 02:53 PM