Midnight Oil drummer, co-founder Rob Hirst lifeless at 70

[ad_1] Australian band Midnight Oil introduced on Tuesday that Rob Hirst, their powerhouse drummer and co-founding member, has died at age 70.

"After combating heroically for nearly three years, Rob is now freed from ache — 'a glimmer of tiny gentle within the wilderness.' He died peacefully, surrounded by family members," the band mentioned in a Fb put up. The band included a callout for donations to charities centered on analysis, help, and consciousness regarding pancreatic most cancers.

The band's longtime members Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey mentioned in one other put up: "We're shattered and grieving the lack of our brother Rob. For now there aren't any phrases however there'll all the time be songs."

Midnight Oil's origins stretch again to the early Seventies, with band members dwelling in Sydney and Canberra within the early years. The band's self-titled debut album was launched domestically in 1978. They launched 4 extra albums earlier than 1987's Diesel and Mud established them as a socially acutely aware band with a global presence.

"We tackle, headlong, all of the issues that you just're purported to keep away from," Hirst informed United Press Worldwide in 1988.

"We combat the battles that we collectively really feel now we have to combat and we win some and we lose some," he added.

Anthem for Indigenous rights spurred success The band's name for repatriation of Indigenous lands, Beds Are Burning, was the largest smash from Diesel and Mud, reaching No. 1 on Canadian charts and the highest 20 on the Billboard charts within the U.S. Dreamworld and Lifeless Coronary heart, from the identical album, additionally acquired airplay on rock and different radio stations.

As a dwell act, the band have been arresting. Garrett, six-foot-six in peak with a shaved head, thrashed madly in regards to the stage, whereas Hirst laid down what a Toronto Star reviewer deemed "thunderous rhythms" in a 1996 live performance evaluation.

WATCH | Midnight Oil's worldwide breakthrough:

Album releases Blue Sky Mining and Earth and Solar and Moon burnished their popularity, with songs Blue Sky Mine, Forgotten Years, Truganini and My Nation turning into sturdy additions to their catalogue and dwell units.

Hirst shared in most of the songwriting credit, mentioned to have crafted the music for many songs together with Moginie, whereas Garrett was the first lyricist.

The band proved in style in Canada, and so they have been invited by The Tragically Hip to participate within the Kingston, Ont., band's first version of the One other Roadside Attraction pageant in 1993. The 2 bands, together with Crash Vegas and Daniel Lanois, assembled in a Calgary studio that 12 months to file Land, with proceeds going to the defence of environmentalists combating logging in Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia.

As with a number of bands, the appearance of the web and streaming minimize into worldwide gross sales figures, however Midnight Oil continued to launch albums till 2002 when Garrett, who studied legislation at college and first tried to enter federal politics in 1984, plunged in with each toes. He was elected to symbolize the Labor Occasion in Australia's Home of Representatives in 2004 and later turned atmosphere minister in Kevin Rudd's authorities, and minister of early childhood underneath Labor prime minister Julia Gillard.

<img loading="lazy" alt="Five men are shown posing outside before a body of water and scenic landscape." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ed866b3a-ac55-4d71-b904-67f843233b9d,1768932847086/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3000%2C2000%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ed866b3a-ac55-4d71-b904-67f843233b9d,1768932847086/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3000%2C2000%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ed866b3a-ac55-4d71-b904-67f843233b9d,1768932847086/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3000%2C2000%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/ed866b3a-ac55-4d71-b904-67f843233b9d,1768932847086/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3000%2C2000%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5" data-cy="image-img"/> Midnight Oil are proven selling their 2017 tour on Feb. 17 in Sydney. From left to proper, band members Bones Hillman, Rob Hirst, Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey are proven. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Photographs) Throughout that point, Hirst saved busy with the fourth and ultimate album from the aspect challenge Ghostwriters, which originated in 1990 and even noticed him shifting to the entrance of the stage on different devices.

Garrett ultimately left politics, and Midnight Oil periodically reformed for excursions and albums. Their most up-to-date album was 2022's Resist, which they supported with exhibits world wide, together with in Toronto and Vancouver.

PM, musicians pay tribute Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese known as Hirst the "actual deal" whereas paying tribute on Tuesday.

"Because the beating coronary heart of Midnight Oil, he showered us with the generosity of his expertise and his spirit," Albanese posted on social media. "Rob was wonderful to take heed to and each bit as phenomenal to look at. His energy and vitality was so unimaginable you bought exhausted simply taking a look at him, however Rob saved on going."

Rob Hirst was the true deal. Because the beating coronary heart of Midnight Oil, he showered us with the generosity of his expertise and his spirit. Rob was wonderful to take heed to and each bit as phenomenal to look at. His energy and vitality was so unimaginable you bought exhausted simply taking a look at him,…

—AlboMP Australian musicians, together with Jimmy Barnes and members of INXS and Hoodoo Gurus, additionally provided condolences on social media.

"We performed with them numerous instances and so they have been all the time highly effective and wonderful. Rob was among the finest drummers I've seen," mentioned INXS bass participant Garry Gary Beers in an Instagram put up.

Hirst acquired the most cancers prognosis in April 2023, and endured chemotherapy and a gastric double bypass after that.

In October, Hirst informed home media shops he was placing up the Ludwig drum package he owned and used way back to the band's second album in 1979 up for public sale. It fetched $90,000 ($84,000 Cdn) and proceeds have been to go to 2 charities, together with one which supported Indigenous musicians.

Hirst mirrored on the band's legacy to the Sydney Morning Herald in late 2025.

"I’m joyful we have been amongst these bands — U2, Billy Bragg, all of the First Nations musicians right here and abroad — pushing the case for justice."