The Whisky Band

Dr Sam Simmons - Band leader, vocalist and guitarist / Whisky Maker

Dr Sam first caught the whisky bug when he moved to Edinburgh in 2002 but he fell in love with music when he was 3 years old in Toronto.  He began with the violin, then the cello, took up the flute to sit next to the cutest girl in class, then the guitar because she didn't fancy a guy who played flute. Today he spends most of his time trying to reinterpret Katy Perry and Beyonce hits in the feel of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. 

Cat Spencer - Vocalist, ukulele / Global Brand Manager for Wm Grant & Sons

Cat has been a music lover from a young age, singing the 'My Little Pony' jingle by the age of four and composing and recording her first song by the time she was six.  Over twenty years later she would discover her love for whisky thanks to a dram of The Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood, and over the same period tried her hand (fingers, really) at piano, cello, oboe, and guitar before settling on the ukulele because it fits in the airplane overhead compartment. 

Rob Allanson - Bass / Editor of Whisky Magazine

Rob settled on a life of four strings early on.  When most people were struck by guitar gods, Rob was worshiping at the altar of all things low frequency.  During the next 30 years he dabbled with piano, flute and guitar, but the bass in all its forms won through; although when lugging an upright bass through London he wishes he had stuck with the flute.  His love of whisky goes back almost as long, and today is a big advocate of a good dram and lovely company. 

Simon W Roser - Drums / Founder of www.simplywhisky.com

Simon found his passion for whisky under a barrel on the island of Islay.  In doing so he realised he now had two passions, the first being the drums.  When he combines drams and drums he is the happiest he can be. 

Dr Nick Morgan - Guitar / Head of Whisky Outreach for Diageo

Dr Nick is a sage whisky evangelist with a soulful heart designed and destined to play music for the masses.  Nobody really knows how he discovered his love for whisky, only that whisky loves him for flying its flag higher than anybody could...while playing a guitar solo, of course.

Music to drink whisky to...

This band of whisky industry professionals brings the water of life as well as musicianship, humour, and over five decades of the popular song together for audiences. Following the inspiration of whisky, they play BLENDS (or “mash-ups”) of disparate songs from across decades resulting in as much toe-tapping as knowing winks. 

In 2013, the band recorded a double LP in the traditional floor maltings of The Balvenie distillery and are currently working to fund recording their follow-up with gigs. Book us!

Comfortable in any venue, 'Barley, Stills, Mash & Tun' have played warehouses, abandoned castles, yachts, cruise ships, festivals, bars, royal gala dinners and are ready to bring unforgettable joy to your event!

Being passionate whisky lovers they can also take care of any whisky related entertainment.

Sample setlist

We play tunes from the last 50 years you cannot help but tap your foot to, often mixing and mashing up dozens of hits into a single nonstop dance fest, featuring over 75 artists such as The Band, Sam Cooke, Queen, Marvin Gaye, Radiohead, The Supremes, Prince, The Ronettes, Bon Jovi, The Temptations, Huey Lewis and The News, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Aha, The Beach Boys, Metallica, Weezer, Four Tops, Bonny Tyler, Pat Benatar, The Miracles, Pink, Carly Rae Jepsen, Scissor Sisters, The Proclaimers, Michael Jackson, Sade, Neil Young, Rupert Holmes, Rage Against The Machine, Nena, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, U2, Sia, The Black Eyed Peas, Shaggy, Nirvana, Tom Petty, AC/DC, The Pointer Sisters, Bill Withers, Lady Gaga, Don McLean, Amy Winehouse, Meghan Trainor, Dusty Springfield, Cat Power, Kylie Minogue, Soft Cell, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Marvin Berry & The Starlighters, Tiny Turner, Tammy Wynette, The Beatles, David Bowie, Sade, Creedence Clearwater Revival…and many more!