The London Underground.....1980's-1995

 A like to the subway tunnels of New York London's Underground had the same explosion of creativity when Graffiti became popular in the U.K.


Metropolitan Line AKA The Big Met

The Metropolitan Line is part of the London Underground, coloured magenta on the Tube map. It was the first underground railwayy (or subway) in the world, opening on January 10, 1863 (however, parts of that initial section are no longer served by the Metropolitan Line, but by the Hammersmith & City, District and Circle lines). The main line runs from Aldgate in the City of London to Amersham, with branch lines to Uxbridge, Watford and Chesham. For the initial section of the Line the rails are in tunnel for much of the way; beyond Baker Street, at Finchley Road the Line runs in the open.
The four-track layout for part of the distance — between Wembley Park and Moor Park — allows for the running of express or "fast" services to the outer suburbs. Baker Street is the terminus for many trains, but others complete their journeys into the City to either Moorgate (where there are terminal platforms) or Aldgate.

Tube Map from 1986

The current rolling stock in use on the Metropolitan Line is the sub-surface gauge A Stock built by Cravens in Sheffield, which is shared between the Metropolitan and East London lines.  While it ran in service with unpainted aluminium bodywork for many years, since refurbishment the stock has received the now standard white and blue Underground livery, with red ends. Metropolitan Line services are usually formed of two four-car units coupled together for a total of eight cars, although the Chesham shuttle service and the East London Line are both served by four-car trains.
The A Stock trains were built in the early 1960s and are now the oldest trains operating on the London Underground. They replaced a wide variety of older rolling stock, including trains with hinged doors and compartments (T Stock electric multiple units for Watford services and locomotive-hauled carriages for Aylesbury services), as well as F Stock (built in 1920) used on Uxbridge services.

Graffiti on the Big Met

The metropolitan Line was one of the first to attract graffiti, the fact that it largely ran above ground and the ease of the rural depots meant it attacted those who wanted to recreate that New York feel. The big seats with large hidden away panels and plenty of empty carriages attracted taggers. Harrow-On-The-Hill station became the logical place to watch your name go by and it wasn't long before a regular writers bench became established at the end of the north bound platforms. There was a rumour on the line in the  80s that Futura had pieced a Big Met at Rickmansworth yard on his visit to London in the early 80s. There was certainly what looked like a faded Futura tag in Rickmansworth under a bridge on the way into the 5's yard. Whether this was true or just a hoax I don't know. The Chrome Angelz member Zaki D also did a Big Met also at Rickmansworth quite early on.
Names I remember from the early days between 1985 to 1987/1988 include Ink, Cast (also writing as Ran), Sirius, Sir Beau, Fly, Set 3, Elf, Yeseye (who later became Kasa), Kis 42, Huz, Jano, Dizi, Tilt, Ence, Bud, Glory, Mane, Excel, Funbox, Tuff, Rel (Gunja), Key, Hard, Burn, Cade, Coad 5, Amo, Jap, Event 1, Rate, Envy, Dawn 2, Dye, Rize, Elc, Shame 181, Car 1, List, Aim, Myth 2, Taran, Deode, D-sire, Justice, Tame, Mas, Bos, Rite 1, Coma, Foam, Prime, Fuel, Robbo, PIC, Doze, Coap, Crude, Demo (Crame / Cade), Mean, Rich, Cane1, Rage, Chrome, Buf, Sir Sin, Ace 1, Bus, Decay, Drax, Drop 1, Bunk, Junks, Endure, Est 1, Sham 59 (Sham roc), Risk, Hit, Trance, Sir 5, Cuba, Rad, Kan-D, Lou (Kan-D & Lou where a couple of early female writers), Penfold, Choci, Seize, Drape, Hate, Dub, Mine, Fate, Sex 1, Melo, Karm, Chico, Hyde, Mise, Klue, Nice, Lisa, List, Hell, Data 27, Mig, Steam TU, Noire, Fast, Sneaki, Realm, Rade, Fone, Rade, Remix, Mint, Vogue, Sage, Mas, Cres, Ease, Eze 74, Joy, Wae, Depth, Quill, Cop, Colt 45, Cazbee, Rome, Acine, Noise, Tab,  - there are many others
Below are a few pictures of the most memorable Graffiti artists from London in the 1980's;

COMA Early 1980's

 

KAST/SUZAN- 1988

FUME/ACID 1992-mid 90's