The Story of The Moss Piglets

The history of The Moss Piglets is shrouded in the mists of time. Sometime in August of 1986, John Goolsby met Ian Gamble while taking a break from studying at Grinnell College in Iowa. Although both were walking in the same direction, they somehow managed to run into each other; the subsequent sound produced was considered their first composition. Music had always been important to both John and Ian, but it was on that fateful day that they began the process of pooling their distinctive talents and forsaking what could be, and ultimately what was, a truly unique sound. 

Ian and John weren't so much musicians in those years as free-thinking performance artists. They soon began to explore all the edges of good taste, and would nibble on one section until it grew stale. In that part of Iowa, there weren't many other bands, so performances came quickly. As they explored the outer reaches of musical theory, they also explored different identities. They called themselves the Dogz, Highstreet Blues Band, The Night Owls, Out of the Blue, and Jam Bag. It would take years (and a few classes in entomology) to finally arrive at the name, "The Moss Piglets".

George Payne began playing with John and Ian at Grinnell. Immediately there was a chemistry, and everyone knew that somehow they would all end up playing together for the rest of their lives. It just felt that good. After a tree fell on his head, George built a standup bass out of the tree and a nearby metal tub, and began playing the thing. George lives in Maple Grove with Brittany,Paul and Melissa. They have two dogs named Spencer and Etta and a bunch of cats. They have a pool in their backyard.

John Barcay was just beginning his illustrious career at Ecolab when Ian Gamble came to work there. When Ian heard John play piano at a party, he convinced John that the Piglets were not going to be the next big thing, but possibly the one after that. Not satisfied with the piano alone, John soon became inspired to further degrade himself by playing his piano licks on a plastic toy keyboard (Melodica), and then the often feared musical saw. John lives in Burnsville with Heidi and a bunch of animals.

John Goolsby is the sticky glue that holds the Piglets together, playing bass, rythym guitar, and gutbucket. John is also the band lawyer and chief financial officer. Stacey is married to John and they live in Saint Paul with their cat Mozart, who has adapted to the arrival of Paul, their son. Paul thinks the Moss Piglets are really cool.

Ian Gamble works in the health care industry, and plays burning guitar leads and banjo follows. He lives in Stillwater with Kerri. Kerri comes to almost all the gigs and is our strongest supporter, recently promoted to Vice President, Quality Assurance, The Moss Piglets. They have a doggy named Tika. They like the outdoors a lot and like to have parties.

Mike Zullo recently joined the Moss Piglets, filling the gaps with mandolin, violin, and a real sense of political humor. Mike teaches guitar in the Twin Cities and routinely offers carpooling to John Barcay who lacks a reliable form of transportation and cell phone. Mike is a dedicated vegetarian who has an obsession for energy drinks with extra sugar.