Interviewed by Marta Antosz, photos: Romana Makówka
In an honest conversation, Bernie Shaw, lead singer of the legendary band Uriah Heep, talks about Polish audience, the Magician’s Farewell Tour, life on the road, memories, and plans for the future.
Could you share some of your memories from performing in Poland?
Bernie Shaw: We have an incredible audience in Poland. They are very enthusiastic, very loud, and they love to sing along to Uriah Heep’s songs—especially classics like Lady in Black. It’s always a great show. We always have a lot of fun performing there.
That’s wonderful to hear. Now, let’s talk about the Farewell Tour. What does it feel like to be playing such an iconic album (The Magician’s Birthday) as part of it? How has the tour been going so far?
Bernie Shaw: The tour is going very well. It began earlier this year, and we played pretty solidly up until May. Then we took a break for the summer festivals, which just wrapped up about two weeks ago. Now we’re gearing up to bring the tour to Poland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland between October and November. After that, we’ll have another short break, before heading into the Scandinavian leg of the Magician’s Farewell tour in early 2026. We’ll be playing throughout Scandinavia and Finland.
Is this truly is the final farewell, or are there any plans to continue in another form?
Bernie Shaw: Well, the whole idea behind Magician’s Farewell is to mark the end of long tours—those that stretch six, seven, even eight weeks. We are definitely stepping away from that kind of heavy schedule. However, we still plan to continue doing shorter runs, like the two- or three-week tour blocks—like what we’re doing in October. If it’s within a month, it’s manageable. We’ll carry on with that format. And of course, we will continue writing and recording music. But we’re slowing down a bit. When we tour America, for instance, we can easily be there for ten weeks—it’s such a vast country. And we always include Canada. But we’re not 21 anymore, so we’d rather take our time and perhaps break it up into three shorter trips to North America rather than one long stretch.
Completely understandable. So, what’s your favourite song to perform live during this tour?
Bernie Shaw: Oh my goodness—that’s a tough one. I actually like all of them. The two opening tracks that Dave wrote are excellent songs. But my favourite to sing is still July Morning (from the album Look at Yourself from 1971). I’ve always loved that song. The entire set has been carefully curated. We sit down as a band and decide what the year’s repertoire will be. We plan for a 60-minute set, a 75-minute set, and a 90-minute set. It depends on the context—whether we’re performing alongside other bands, or if we’re headlining, in which case we have more time. So, we always have three versions of our set that we can rotate throughout the year.
Let’s talk a bit about your vocal routine. Maintaining vocal health on tour is no easy task. Do you have specific exercises or routine you follow to care for your voice?
Bernie Shaw: I would say the most important thing for my voice is rest. When we’re travelling—whether it’s in a tour bus or van—I typically don’t speak to anyone. The noise of the engine alone can be around 65 to 75 decibels, and if I need to speak over that for a six-hour journey, it’s almost like I’ve sung an entire set before even getting to the venue. So I prefer to stay quiet, sit with my iPad, watch some Netflix, and rest my voice until soundcheck. In fact, sometimes I even skip soundcheck and simply warm up my voice in the dressing room 20 minutes before going on stage. Given that we’re on the road about 200 days a year, with over 100 concerts annually, my doctor tells me I don’t really need an intense warm-up. What’s more important is to cool down my voice properly after each performance. The vocal cords are already well-conditioned from the regular touring, so it’s more about proper recovery than warm-up at this point.
That’s quite the regimen. You’ve been with Uriah Heep for nearly 40 years. If you could go back in time, is there a moment or memory with the band that you would like to relive?
Bernie Shaw: That’s a tough one—I’ve been with the band 40 years next year, so there are countless memories. But one that really stands out would be just after I joined the band. We were invited to the Soviet Union in 1987 and played ten concerts in Moscow. We were the first Western rock band to be invited to perform there, and the shows were held at the Olympic Stadium. That was truly unforgettable.
Another memory would be from a show in Kyiv. I can’t recall the exact year, but there was a mayoral election happening. One candidate promised to bring a huge rock concert featuring Metallica, Smokie, Sweet, Nazareth—many big names. The other candidate said, “Vote for me, and I’ll bring Uriah Heep.” And he won. So, we ended up performing in Victory Square in Kyiv to a crowd of over 140,000 people. The prelude to our performance was the live broadcast of the Klitschko Brothers’ boxing match. We even had around 12,000 people attend the soundcheck. That was very special.
From your perspective, what is the most underrated Uriah Heep album?
Bernie Shaw: Well, it often feels like the albums I’ve been a part of—around 15 of them—have been somewhat overlooked by record companies and radio stations. One album that I believe stands out and still sounds phenomenal is our most recent, Chaos & Colour. The production is excellent. Mick, Phil, Russell, and Dave wrote some truly great songs. It did chart a bit and was well-received by both press and fans, but without the backing of a major label, it’s difficult to achieve a gold record like in the past. Still, knowing the fans enjoy it—that’s good enough for me.
Are there any plans for musical projects outside of Uriah Heep? Perhaps a return to some of your solo projects from previous years, like collaboration with Dave Collins?
Bernie Shaw: Possibly. There are always things in the pipeline. Mick and I have done Rock Meets Classic, and we’ve also performed with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra. I’m always open to different projects— as long as they don’t interfere with Uriah Heep’s schedule, of course.
I came across a story about how you started out as a guitarist. Do you still play?
Bernie Shaw: I do. I have a beautiful acoustic guitar made in the Czech Republic, built by Furch — the same luthier who makes all of Mick’s guitars. Occasionally, Mick will drive up to my place and we’ll enjoy a nice dinner together. He brings his guitar, I get mine, and after a few glasses of wine — we probably have a bit too much — we’ll start playing songs from other bands. We might do a bit of Bad Company, Cream, or some Beatles tunes. I really enjoy strumming the guitar and having fun at home.
Do you plan to play on any future recording?
Bernie Shaw: (Laughs) I’m not that good! Playing in my living room is one thing, but performing in front of people is another. I could probably handle Lady in Black, it’s only two chords!
Aside of music, what excites you these days? How do you spend your free time?
Bernie Shaw: I’m very fond of classic cars. I own a 1962 English-made car, which I enjoy maintaining and driving on nice days. I also ride a Harley motorcycle when the weather is good. Being a father to two teenagers is certainly exciting—though admittedly exhausting at times. In fact, today is my son’s 15th birthday, so we’re having a special family dinner tonight. My sister is visiting from Canada, so we’re enjoying some quality time together. When I’m not touring, I try to keep life as normal as possible.
Speaking of Canada, after all these years in England, does it feel like home now, or do you still feel a strong connection to Canada?
Bernie Shaw: I still have very strong ties to Canada. All my friends and family are there. I usually go back at Christmas. My daughter has finished school, but my son is still in high school, so we usually only get about two weeks. It’s a long journey – 26 hours door-to-door from my house in the UK to the one I stay at in Victoria on Vancouver Island. This year, I’ll probably pull him out of school a couple of days early so we can enjoy a full three weeks. Hopefully, we’ll have nice weather. I plan to do some fishing, see old friends, and have a wonderful family Christmas.
Do you play music during family gatherings?
Bernie Shaw: Not really, no. I’m the only musician in the family!
And what do you wish for yourself and Uriah Heep in the years ahead?
Bernie Shaw: I hope everyone stays healthy. I also hope that Mick and Phil continue writing music together. They usually collaborate over the internet using their home studios. Since Chaos & Colour turned out to be such a strong album, I’d hate for it to be our last. So I’m hoping they can put together another set of great songs, and then, of course, we’d love to go out on another world tour.
Thank you so much, Bernie.
Bernie Shaw: Thank you.
