Bruised Brothers
They’re ageing rockers with hearts of gold, sometime musos who channel their youth into producing the best foot-tapping sounds around.
The Bruised Brothers are, from left, Greg Gascoigne, Alan van Niekerk, Bill Wilson, Kim Pritchard, Shona Devoy, John Bullick, Nigel Donne, Roger Hill and Colin Davis.
The Bruised Brothers Band – a play on The Blues Brothers name – even call themselves the ‘old Fella’s Band’, yet they’re probably one of Cambridge Rotary’s best assets. The fact the band has raised over $26,000 for the club to help fund a swathe of good causes only adds to their star power.
The band formed around 20 years ago, initially as in-house Rotary entertainment. Fuelled by a passion for the rock ‘n’ roll anthems of the ‘60s and ‘70s and driven to give something back through Rotary, they now perform at rest homes and clubs, private functions, charity fundraisers and street festivals. Each time, they ask only for a contribution which goes into Rotary’s fundraising coffers to support other organisations in and around Cambridge.
No matter the age group, audiences love their covers of bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Cliff Richard and more. They’ve made a recording, been on radio and, somewhat unusually, played at the funeral for Cambridge stalwart John Bishop.
Some gigs take them out of town. One of those is just around the corner when they will play at their second 60s Up New Zealand national conference, this time in Rotorua next month. They are also playing at a 2026 fundraising social raising money to upgrade the old Roto-o-Rangi Memorial Hall.
The band members themselves are a real mix, and all enjoy the melding of music, friendship and community support.
Lead guitarist Roger Hill, who with his wife Ann founded Hill Laboratories, joined for the enjoyment of playing his era’s music. He’s seen as ‘the driver’, and it’s in his garden shed they rehearse weekly. Kim Pritchard, a dab hand on a 12-string guitar and former owner of The News, joined when he moved to Cambridge and wanted to meet the town’s ‘movers and shakers’.
Greg Gascoigne, a retired dairy farmer, former Jaycee and long-time Rotarian, joined early on; he’s their bass guitarist. Bill Wilson is another former Jaycee who moved into Rotary – he is the band’s crooner. Colin Davis plays multiple instruments. Like several others, his dad was a Rotarian, and he enjoys the mix of mateship and giving back.
Drummer Nigel Donne was ‘discovered’ by Roger Hill. He was inspired to join Rotary by fellow plastics industry man Mark Hanlon and reckons good fellowship is what it’s all about. Shona Devoy, currently the only woman in the band, is on vocals. She has been involved in the trustee industry for decades and was invited to join Rotary when she moved to Cambridge.
Former school principal John Bullick joined Rotary Cambridge 20 years ago and sees joining the band as a highlight. He is on rhythm guitar and vocals. Relative newcomer Alan van Niekerk, who does rhythm and bass guitar and vocals, knew about Rotary from his father-in-law in the then Rhodesia. He joined Cambridge Rotary in 2020.
Three of the guys – Greg, Kim and Alan – also build guitars, while others have come and gone over time, among them Chris and Robyn Crickett, and the band’s founder Bob Teal.
As much as it is about rock ‘n’ roll and resilience, The Bruised Brothers are generous advocates for the community service supported locally and internationally through Rotary.
As they see it, music can be a force for change … in the best possible way.
Bruised Brothers
