Mini Interview for Fabric Night Club from a year or so ago...

ATG (Ahead of The Game) originally started as a graffiti crew in London in the year 2000. Nine years later ATG is going strong and, while still predominantly a graffiti crew, has grown into a well established brand comprising all types of self-made London talent. Most recently, they’ve embarked on a new partnership with our favourite geeks from the streets, Urban Nerds.

Make sure you click after the jump for a special competition...

How did you hook up with Urban Nerds?

“We have known the Urban Nerds for a few years now but this is our first time linking up with them. We're glad to collaborate as we get on well, we’re roughly the same age and we move in similar circles in London – but most importantly we think that they represent the 'do it by yourselves' and 'do it better than anyone else' attitude we have always had.”

What's the most dangerous/outrageous place you've graf'd? How did you do it?

“Over the last nine years and travels across numerous different countries we have had many, many close shaves including high falls and electric shocks etc. One particular close shave that stuck in my mind is a mission we did a good five years ago now. It was in London after the Chancery Road derailment, LU had completely shut down the Central Line to safety check all the tracks - this meant no power or current running through the two electric rails that run along all normal tube tracks. We thought this would be a great time to walk down the tunnel and find the old ghost station called ' Wood Lane ' near White City train sidings. Now when the power is turned off, there is a built in safety feature that the lights will automatically go on so workers can see while they do their thing. We started walking down the circular tunnel - not one of the big cut-and-cover ones you get on the Met lines - but the very cramped old Victorian tunnels you get on the deep lines. We had been walking for about 15 mins and the air had gone very thin and silent, when we just got a funny feeling something wasn't right - and we wanted out fast! We turned around and started jogging back. Within a minute of exiting the tunnel we heard the rumbling of what sounded like a train. We thought, ‘No this can’t be, the lines are off’ - when a bright yellow tube train came steaming out of the tunnel at about 40mph! What we did not know then was that the service trains on the LU are motor powered and do not need electricity to power them! Now we know! Then we did not! This shows however prepared you think you are something can always go wrong. We could have lost our lives that day, which has happened to many writers, including one of our own. R.I.P George King AKA Hate.”

Any advice for aspiring graf artists?

“The best bit of advice I could give right now is not to conform to what you are TOLD a graffiti writer should be, you should paint what you want to and how you want to. Make sure you learn your history, practice on paper and with paint a lot, and always have respect for those who came before you, it is also very important to be out at night and it is not fair to claim graffiti fame without earning your stripes on the battlefield that is illegal graffiti.”

Mr A