Andy Hill established Ruffhouse Crew, a DJ Collective that now involves three generations of Lindisfarne College students.  They tour NZ and sell out in all major cities, have hosted stage takeovers at the Rhythm & Vines Festival and have supported leading international artists including Netsky, SPY, Flume, Pendulum, SIGMA.   

Andy has also presented a young entrepreneur seminar at Massey University alongside ANZ, Vodafone and Xero.   “Once I graduated from Lindisfarne I moved to Wellington to attend Victoria University to complete a Commerce degree. While studying in Wellington and living the typical party lifestyle of a uni student, my love for electronic music and going to gigs set up the perfect environment to create our events business Ruffhouse which now sees our DJ Collective Ruffhouse Crew playing shows all around the country.   It all started out as a flat party on Cuba Street however we quickly outgrew flat parties and started touring NZ, selling out clubs nationwide.  

When Ruffhouse was born there was a huge student scene who were going to gigs and playing electronic music however none of the local promotors were willing to take us on to play at their shows. This is where we stepped in and started throwing gigs of our own and by having a go and approaching leading nightclubs in Wellington we were able to build a strong brand around the Wellington student party scene which we eventually expanded nationwide.   Being a bunch of 20-year olds with no industry experience, asking to throw a gig at the biggest nightclubs in Wellington can be daunting but if you are prepared to ask and learn along the way then this is the best way to start out and you will subsequently grow in skills and confidence because of it. 

After becoming a popular DJ Collective in Wellington, in our third year of Uni we took our show on the road to Dunedin where we played 'Ruffhouse Down South' after strong demand for us to come and play to the South Island.  From there Ruffhouse Crew, who now has three generations of LFC students in the Collective, gained great success nationally and was invited to headline R&V’s 2016 and 2017 Soundcheck Tours and host six-hour stage takeovers on the Cellar stage at Rhythm & Vines 2015 and 2016.  Outdoor festivals were also something we have always had appeal for and in 2015 we ran an outdoor summer Music Festival, SummerBend on another ex-Lindisfarne student’s farm in Maraekakaho. This saw us fly in Headliner Raiza Biza from Auckland and host a number of other leading artists from around NZ for a day/night festival in the sunny Hawke’s Bay. 

Obviously my love for drum and bass is a bit factor in why I play this sort of music but the best part about Ruffhouse is the strong friendship circle it has formed. Having DJs from cities around NZ brings different friendship circles together, and the experience is just as much about bringing people together as it is about the music. This has been a big factor in the success of our shows since day one and something we continue to build on. 

Lindisfarne taught me a number of good values and behaviours that have helped me since finishing at the school. Some include the importance of respecting your elders, the importance of having good manners and benefits you can reap from putting yourself out there and trying something new.  It taught and encouraged me that if there is something that you are interested in, to just have a go. 

The schools view on compulsory sport also carries many benefits and teaches students all about fair play, participation and cooperation as well as the need to look after your physical wellbeing. 

I was always involved in the school's soccer teams. For a short time I was the captain of the 1st XI football team and this was a great team to lead and be a part of. I also really enjoyed the competitive nature of travelling to Inter-school sports days and representing the college away from home.  

While at school I was also selected for an Invitational NZ Football team to tour England in 2006 & 2007.  We played against Chelsea U-18, West Brom U-18, Fulham U-17 as well as teams from Aston Villa, Reading, Portsmouth and a number of other professional clubs in England. 

The best memories and experiences I had at Lindisfarne were the sports tours and all house competitions. In 5th form I travelled to the USA to play football and then to Australia in 7th form to compete in the Southern Skies tournament. These are experiences I will always look back on.  In addition to this I was always interested in hearing the guest speakers who would be brought in as part of the Good Man program. It was always inspiring to hear about amazing stories of success from around the country. 

Although when I was there I may not have seen school as the most enjoyable part of my life, I am pleased that I went to a school like Lindisfarne. The opportunities they present you with really are first class and provide a great environment to develop as a young man.  I am currently living in Melbourne with three other Old Boys and have been for a little over two years now. I work as a Sales Associate in the finance Industry and in my spare time I love to play social sport, exploring places around Australia outside of the city and playing music. 

For now Ruffhouse Crew are continuing to play our shows across NZ and we have an upcoming tour in August this year seeing us play in Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland. 

To the boys at school today; get involved with everything, really make the most of all the opportunities the school provides you. Try things you think you might enjoy. Make as many friends as possible from the other schools around Hawke’s Bay and have lots of fun.” 

Article added: Thursday 05 November 2020