Obituary
i know there is not much love for Midnight Oil here, well too bad you’re all wrong.
Rob Hirst was the drummer and
leader of the band. He wrote a lot of the songs and probably pushed their activist message even more than Peter Garrett.
He also had a roots blues band called the Backsliders which were pretty good too.
Interesting comment about his drumming. snare just in front of the beat, kick drum just behind.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/rob-hirst-was-a-force-of-nature-a-born-showman-who-led-midnight-oil-from-the-back?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I’ll never forget playing 4th (unpractised) flute in my school big band at Sydney Town Hall, with Rob on drums. He was astonishing then and, with a few others (no names) who went on to make a living from music, he powered a really good big band – which got fractionally better after I was sacked.
Fortunately the closest a flute ever got to Midnight Oil.
Well I certainly have a lot of love for the Oils.
I first saw them early 80’s in Melbourne, then numerous times over the years both in Oz and over here. They were an awesome and exhilarating live experience, and seeing Rob powering away in front of his water-tank set up was a sight to behold.
R.I.P.
Cheers HC, a toast to the great Rob Hirst.
I’ve got a couple of their albums that I particularly like, “10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1” and “Blue Sky Mining” so count me in as a fan here. “Australian compositions. Australian performances” it says on the inner sleeve, and all the better for that; they made a great noise.
Raising a glass for him. Condolences to his family and friends.
The man was a force. His drumming was an absolute joy to watch. Life affirming. While I was too young to have seen them at the Antler or French’s as per the oft-told origin stories, I got to see them in the arenas and then in smaller rooms after their tilt at the big time had waned. They were just as visceral and relentless, and their songcraft had evolved as well.
While the others rarely gave interviews, I always noted the way the band deferred to Rob in most of their public appearances. On stage also, you could tell it wasn’t just his drumming that animated the band: that he was their real heart and soul.
I suppose some of the AW know that Peter Garrett had a tilt in federal politics. I always found it funny when the opposition would shout out Oils lyrics at him when revelling in his ‘hypocrisy’, not knowing that it was probably Rob Hirst who penned the lines. (I found out later in the piece too that their song-writing credits are listed narratively/chronologically. A credit of “Hirst-Moginie-Garrett” usually meant it was mainly Rob’s idea that he brought to Jim, then Pete did some work on the lyrics. “Moginie-Hirst” was Jim’s idea that Rob then worked on. I don’t think many other bands have done it this way. )
10,9,8 and Red Sails (with Nick Launay at the helm) have to be the most sonically adventurous records to have stayed in he Australian Top 50 charts for ongoing years.
We won’t see his like again.
Great contribution. Didn’t know that about the sequencing of the credits.
I missed my one chance to see them live back in the mid 90s on a tour with Crowded House and Hunters and Collectors. Had a front row ticket but had (unbeknownst to me) blown my eardrum attempting to waterski earlier that day. H&Cs came on and I fled the building within the first verse and then waited ar A&E for several hours.
The Oils had some good songs, almost all of which were rendered unlistenable by the dreadful vocals of singer Peter Garrett.
Really their greatest moment came when they played the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, with the word “SORRY” emblazoned on their trousers in huge unmistakeable lettering (the then PM John Howard refused to apologise to the Aboriginal people for past human rights abuses. It would be another 8 years before a new Labor PM Kevin Rudd did so)
Did ok for unlistenable.
Oh, I dunno Mousey. One listen to Rob’s Ghostwriters project where he handled pretty much everything including the singing revealed how much PG was a part of their presence. He was the first to admit he wasn’t a crooner, but nonetheless a great performer onstage and behind the mic.
I remember the Olympics moment vividly. An amazing spectacle and totally unexpected, particularly how tightly controlled everything around the Olympics was. The only thing that dulls it on rewatching is that they weren’t playing live. Great moment.
Never saw The Oils but saw him play with Jim Moginie, Martin Rotsey and Brian Ritchie in surf rock band The Break. Great drummer and a great entertainer, he was definitely the front man in that band.
Oils Rule for me as well Junior. He was a true force! Powderworks went on first thing! Oils On The Water As I write.
Only recently got into them, thanks to someone on here I think. When I heard the ‘10-1’ album I was almost angry that I didn’t know about it before- even now it’s quite out there. Excellent band, and it was his band.
Fortunately the closest a flute ever got to Midnight Oil. Red Sails in the Sunset my favourite. and the live Oils On The Water
dunno how my reply ended so far down here.
When I was in Australia, I worked for an Aboriginal business in the NT.
Beds are burning hit a bit different after that.
Not sure I have seen such an outpouring for a musos death down here. Certainly from the muso fraternity.