HOME    BAND BIO    TOMMY    GREG    JOE    ALAN    RICKY   GIGS    SONGS    CONTACT   VIDEO   SOUNDS   PICTURES   LINKS

"I just hear and feel the bass better than any other instrument", says Alan McCleaf, who learned to play on the standup bass and has been playing bass guitar in rock bands since he was 14.  "Plus, as a bass player, you can always get a gig".  Alan went to the same high school as members of the 80's band, Kix, and like them, grew up loving and playing rock and roll music from the 60's and 70's.  Coming to Virginia in 1978, he experienced 'pure culture shock' as he went from playing Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nugent and Kiss to developing an appreciation for Neil Young, Little Feat and the Grateful Dead.  His college bands played 'classic rock before it was classic rock', but he didn't start writing and recording originals until he moved to Richmond in the 90's.  As the rhythm guitarist in SteppinStone in 2000-2001, he wrote one of the band's best-received originals 'Pinkie Ring', which unfortunately never made it to an official studio release.  After a short stint in Chester Copperpot, Alan returned to play bass with a new lineup of SteppinStone in 2005-2006, wrapping up with the band's final show in November 2006.

Alan met Tommy Pearson at a show at the State Fair, and after a few false starts, joined with Joe and Randy in playing 'the music we know and love'.  Finally deciding with the guys on the name 'Rockslide', he is enjoying playing with the band's other talented musicians who have similar tastes.  He loves all kinds of guitars, but is especially fond of Martin acoustics and Gibson Les Pauls played through Marshall amps.  Alan's advice to Richmond: 'Get ready to rock'.