Involving Music are pleased to introduce you to Big Shipping.

There’s no predetermined sound or goals for Big Shipping.

They collectively came together to play music as an outlet for what could be the mundanity of not playing music. It sounds cliche, but they play what they want to and what feels good to them. There’s a necessity for a little quality control, but…

Members of Big Shipping have been playing in Exeter bands for 20+ years, some of which toured around the UK, Europe and even East Coast America.

Photo Credit: Big Shipping
Photo Credit: Big Shipping
Photo Credit: Big Shipping

Interview: Big Shipping

Who is in the band?

Adam – Guitar

Kev – Vocals

Neil – Bass

Ollie – Guitar

Tom – Drums

Where are you from? / Where are you based now?

We’re based in Exeter.

The two sets of brothers, Adam & Ollie and Neil & Kev, are originally from Teignmouth.

What are your musical influences?

It’s difficult to cite direct influences for Big Shipping. We’re five different people who listen to different bands and genres. There are some common interests and some bands we all like, but they don’t necessarily feed into what we produce musically, not consciously, anyway.

Over the years, and as musical tastes change or evolve, we have absorbed a huge amount of music. So, it all plays a part in our music in some form or another.

In your own words:

Big Shipping’s sound has off-kilter nods to familiar sounds in post-punk, 90s and 00s post-hardcore, and noise rock.

We’re the worst people to ask what we sound like because we don’t know ourselves.

You might hear familiarity with bands such as Helmet, Pissed Jeans, or These Arms Are Snakes… or you might not. We’re happy that each individual makes their comparisons. And, if no comparisons can be made, then even better.

Black and white candid photo of four men sitting and laughing in an urban setting, outlined with thin white line art highlighting their features. — Photo Credit: Big Shipping

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Sound Bites

The absolute essential item for us on tour is…

Uplifting music. We’re a bit of a loud, shouty band that plays with loud, shouty bands, so we don’t want to listen to loud, shouty bands while driving to gigs!

Our most challenging journey for the least payoff led us to…

Being who we are. Life is a challenging journey with little payoff. It’s best not to get hung up on it. Get over it and move on.

Keeping fit on the road requires…

Actually being bothered to keep fit.

The coolest pit stop worldwide is…

We’ll answer this one after we’ve toured the world.

A must-have in our tour survival kit is…

Humour.

The weirdest gig we’ve ever played happened at…

The Cavern, Exeter. Our guitarist Adam couldn’t make it. Our songs were written with and for two guitars, so that was a bit weird.

The place with the best bathroom graffiti is..

Every venue has at least one piece of graffiti that either makes you laugh or questions human intelligence.

The best part of performing live is the feeling of…

Powering though a mistake you make during a song you’ve practised a hundred times and then realising nobody noticed.

How we prepare for a show…

Fret about who is bringing what and getting there at what time?

Shout out to a local business in Exeter, and why…

Broadside Screen Printing. This is run by our friend Dan, the bass player for a former incarnation of Big Shipping. If you want quality printed apparel for your band or business, get in touch!

What’s the best attraction/place to visit/hang out in Exeter?

For us it had to be The Cavern. By far one of the best venues in the UK, if not the world. Since being teenagers, it has led us to discover so much music, watch so many amazing bands and meet great people.

Big Shipping has no set sound or goals. They play music as an outlet, choosing what feels good with a touch of quality control. Members have over 20 years’ experience in Exeter bands, touring the UK, Europe, and even East Coast America.

– Big Shipping

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– Darren Branch

Darren Branch’s first love was Heavy Metal, sparked by seeing Iron Maiden live at the Cornwall Coliseum in 1984 at the age of 13. His passion for grassroots music grew after discovering the vibrant local scene around Daylight Recording Studios in Honiton during the late 1980s. Having lived in Honiton and Exeter, Darren now lives in South Somerset and enjoys spending time in South Carolina. He stays deeply connected to the Southwest’s emerging bands—often through families that keep the scene alive. Outside music, he builds websites, reads business books, and participates in English Premier League Fantasy Football.

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