Sunderland Rock’n’Roll Society was also well underway, with Ali ‘Skin’ Barber at the helm, and another legend in the making, Stew ‘Country Boy’ Campbell. Ali was a brilliant DJ, a great entertainer who was very expressive; he could seek out rare records at a time long before the specialist online shops we have today even existed. I only met Ali personally a few times, when the Hot Rod Gang played the Sunderland Rock’n’Roll Society, but his reputation went before him. I was told that he’d originally knocked on Stew Campbell’s door in 1972, and asked Stew if he could help him to run a rock’n’roll club in Sunderland, which Stew was only too happy to do - so now, the rock’n’roll scene in the North East of England was really growing. At different times, the Sunderland Rock’n’Roll Society were based at the Sunderland Transport Club, the Commercial Club and for a short time they met at the Royalty pub.

​In January 1974, the National Union of Mineworkers voted in favour of strike action, following a long dispute with the Tory government led by Edward Heath. The strike was attacked by some parts of the media and supported by others, but in strong mining areas like the North East the miners’ families were suffering real hardship. Ali ‘Skin’ Barber and other members of the two Rock’n’Roll Societies helped to set up a concert in Boldon Miners’ Welfare Hall in aid of the families, and the Hot Rod Gang were very happy to play at it.Ali ‘Skin’ Barber carried on as a popular DJ right up to 1986, and sadly he died in 1992. He’s remembered as one of the pioneers of the great Rock’n’Roll Revival of the 1970s