Australian rock loses a beat with the passing of Rob Hirst, the renowned drummer and co-founder of music group Midnight Oil, who succumbed to a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer at 70; his death was confirmed by his bandmates via a post on Midnight Oil's social media channels, as reported by USA TODAY.
Known as a steadfast companion to the frontman's limelight with the group's origins in the early '70s under the nascent name Farm, Hirst's collaborative force took shape as they emerged on Sydney's northern beaches era after Peter Garrett joined the ensemble and later, as they morphed into the political and environmental standard-bearers of antipodean rock they were to become as Midnight Oil, the group released a slew of albums characterized by their political charge and fiery performances which spoke to Aboriginal rights, social justice, and nuclear disarmament; this information comes courtesy of the aforementioned USA TODAY article.
Midnight Oil, through Hirst's dynamic presence at the drum kit and his role as songwriter, grew from a surf-tinged sound in their self-titled debut to an international chart-topper with the socially-conscious hit single "Beds Are Burning," as chronicled by The Conversation, the song's reach punctuated by its strong message highlighting Australian Aboriginal dispossession and reaching number one across several countries.
Despite the band's hiatus in 2002 when Garrett pivoted towards politics, Hirst continued to express his musical talents through other projects including the Ghostwriters and collaborating on albums with his daughter, Jay O’Shea, resuming with Midnight Oil for two more albums before his death, "The Makarrata Project" and "Resist," the latter achieving the top position on the Australian albums chart; the detail of the group's reunion and Hirst's other musical ventures is drawn from the obituary published by USA TODAY.
The band, expressing deep sorrow over Hirst's death, stated, "We are shattered and grieving the loss of our brother Rob," going on to say, "For now, there are no words, but there will always be songs," this moving tribute reflecting the band's close-knit relationship, as obtained by USA TODAY; Hirst is mourned by his family including his wife Lesley Holland and daughters Alexandra, Gabriella, and country singer Jay O'Shea.
