Shaw is a drummer, synthesizer player and guitarist who has played with various Wirral and Liverpool bands during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
His first role as a musician was as founder member of synthpop group Dalek I Love You, formed in 1977 alongside Alan Gill, David Balfe (later with Big In Japan and Teardrop Explodes) and Dave Hughes (later with OMD and Thomas Lang).
After leaving Dalek I Love You, Shaw formed Some Detergents with schoolfriend Chris Russell and Brendan Coyle, releasing the single "Moderne Problem (TV Times)" on Clean Records.
The band gigged in and around Liverpool - most frequently at the infamous Eric's Club - and also appeared on North West Tonight.
In 1983, Shaw and Russell formed a new band, Sense Of Vision, with former Games keyboardist Colin Hughes, and released the double A-side single "Dream" / "Destiny" on 24 January 1984.