83-85_87_Life Outside Cards.qxp_Grid 18/01/2026 15:34 Page 1
FOCUS ON…LIFE OUTSIDE CARDS
IN ANOTHER LiFE…
Inset: Lead singer in The Clash tribute band is probably the coolest life outside cards!
Clashing with Daleks As lead singer in top The Clash tribute band London Calling, indie sales agent Reg Shaw has the coolest life outside cards – and it’s his job that’s made it possible.
Having played in bands since first getting into punk in the late 70s, Reg pulled London Calling together for a one-off charity gig in 2002. “There was no plan to go any further with it but we had such a good night that we decided to play a few more shows – and it just kept getting bigger and bigger,” Reg revealed. “Now we play constantly across the UK and we've toured Australia and New Zealand twice, played in America – although now Trump is in power we can't go back – and across Europe. 2025 was our biggest year so far, and we are expecting even more in 2026.” As lead vocalist Reg plays the role of the late Joe Strummer with bandmates Zep Guatieri (Paul Simonon), David Devonald (Mick Jones), and James Wise or Shane Tremlin (Topper Headon), and are known for performing full albums like London Calling as well as high-energy hits including Should I Below: London Calling in action. Right: Daleks are a passion too.
Is there life outside cards if you’re in the greetings industry? That can be the question as people often get bogged down in keeping their business and work going and forget to take time out to enjoy time away from cards. But there are also many who have created a work-life balance – and have some very interesting hobbies!
Above: Reg makes a great Joe Strummer.
Stay Or Should I Go and Rock The Casbah. Reg, who is and agent for Ohh Deer and Dean Morris, added: “I love it because The Clash is a brilliant band, there's so many great tunes to play and the people that come to see us love The Clash and genuinely enjoy what we do. “I've met a couple of members of The Clash and they know about us, but I know they won't come to see us – they’d get mobbed!” Reg explained that when he was employed by Half Moon Bay and Statics he couldn’t play much due to the constraints of having a fulltime job but the week he went self-employed (in February 2015) was the start of the band’s first UK tour. “It was perfect timing!” he said. “My week now works out like this, Monday to Thursday I’m out on the road as an agent, Friday morning I get collected by the boys in the van for gigs Friday and Saturday night, Sunday liein – and repeat! “It can get a bit hectic so one thing I have to make sure is to write up and process all my orders before I go away, but being self-employed means I can take off for a four-week tour down under when I want. “I once played a gig in Auckland,
New Zealand, and an old housemate from Bristol turned up. He didn't know I was in the band until we started playing. We’d lost contact when he moved to London, and he was bought London Calling tickets by his wife – it was three songs in when he realised it was me!” Punk isn’t Reg’s only musical note as he also writes and records bhangra electronica music with his best friend Judge Singh in his home studio under the name DanceGuru: “We played Glastonbury last year which was amazing!” And he has other hobbies too, including quizzing and building full-size Dalek models: “I did TV’s Eggheads with my cricket team Easton Cowboys – I beat the show’s Judith Keppel – and I did Pointless with my brother Eddie, and we won £6,000. “I'm also a member of the Dalek Builders Guild – there is such a thing – and I made a copy of a 1980s retro Dalek that you can get in and drive around. To be exact it's a Remembrance Of The Daleks rebel Dalek leader. This is what happens when you have a short attention span and no kids!” PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 83