It’s our pleasure to introduce you to BIG SHIPPING.
Biography
There’s no predetermined sound or goals for Big Shipping.
We collectively came together to play music as an outlet for what could be the mundanity of not playing music. It sounds cliche, but we play what we want to and what feels good to us. 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.
Band Members:
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.
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.
About the latest release:
We Will Be Forgotten was released in 2023.
It was recorded over a weekend in Exeter the year before. The 11th child in the pack was born straight after, so we took a little time out and sat on it until we released it.
The cover photo was taken hours before the child was born. It shows the dilapidated end of Teignmouth Pier, which seems quite fitting for the EP title.
What inspired the latest release?
We’re not very prolific, so we set a deadline to write and record four songs.
The result is a true display of Big Shipping’s diverse sound. No two songs on the EP sound the same.
Sound Bites
If you’re on the road...
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...
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?
Tell us about an independent eatery in Exeter you love...
Portal Pizza on the quay.
It’s great to enjoy a beer at Topsham Brewery and eat a great pizza made by awesome people.
Shout out to a local business in Exeter, and why...
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.
