The World Loses a Different Drummer: Remembering Rob Hirst

My life has been absolutely better than anything anyone could ever ask for, and so, if my life is attenuated by this tiny little tumour that threatens to do me in, then I will still consider myself incredibly fortunate.

– Rob Hirst

The news of Rob Hirst’s death last week hit me harder than I expected. This is not just a remembrance of a musician, but of what it meant to resist—loudly, rhythmically, and without apology.

Legacy in Rhythm

As the world cautiously emerged from its COVID cocoon in 2022, Midnight Oil announced its farewell tour. For my wife and me, this would be our first indoor concert since a string of upcoming performances on our calendar were cancelled at the beginning of the pandemic. Given my wife’s health issues, we had been unsure about returning to concerts, but the chance to see the Oils one last time was the push we needed. We purchased tickets to the show at the Hollywood Palladium.

A week after the concert, I was quarantined after testing positive for COVID.

The Night I Became a Fan

My admiration for Midnight Oil started in 1988, when I was offered free tickets to their show at the Universal Amphitheater. I was familiar with their hits, but little else. Still, free tickets meant a chance to expand my musical horizons.

Peter Garrett was the obvious focal point of the performance. The lofty presence of the 6-foot-6 singer with a bald head was an imposing figure who immediately commanded attention. Add in his unique style of jerky dancing, and it became hard to take your eyes off him.

Why Hirst Mattered

As a drummer, my attention was drawn elsewhere. Hirst's powerful performance, along with the band's passionate lyrics, drew me in, and I became a fan that night.

As I delved deeper into the band's music, I realized that Hirst was the musician I aspired to be. Like me, his drum kit consisted of both acoustic and electronic drums (though mine lacked a large storm drain). He also used his electronics not to imitate natural drum sounds, but to expand his palette.

This approach is on display throughout the Diesel and Dust album that served as the basis for the tour I attended. On "Sometimes," they are used for punches. They come to the front of the mix in "The Dead Heart," jarring the listener to attention and ensuring the song’s message is heard.

The Sound of Resistance

From behind the drum kit, I’d heard every tired joke musicians tell, including the one that asks, “What do you call the guy who hangs out with the musicians in a band… the drummer.” It always got a laugh, mostly because there’s a grain of truth in how drummers are often treated as background players rather than full creative partners.

But Rob Hirst never fit that punchline.

The messages coming from the stage were, in part, crafted by Hirst. While I have played in bands where my role was strictly to play the drums, my favorite situations were ones where those in which I could write lyrics, help craft the songs, and have a voice in arranging them. Hirst was doing all of that in a band that had found worldwide success singing about politics from an unabashedly left‑wing perspective.

A Voice Beyond the Kit

The place where we diverged was in Hirst's ability to sing. While there are times when I have stepped out from behind my kit to take my turn at the vocal mic, my delivery was more spoken-word than melodic. Hirst could sing and was the lead vocalist on some songs, including “When the Generals Talk.”

More important was the way Hirst's backing vocals influenced the sound of the band. Much like how Michael Anthony's voice gave Van Halen its vocal identity, Hirst's voice laid the foundation for Garrett. Midnight Oil would not have sounded like Midnight Oil without him.

The Last Time I Heard Him Live

Looking back on that night at the Palladium in Hollywood, it is hard to believe that it will be the last time I will ever hear Hirst’s voice live. It was powerful, conviction-driven, and alive, and now it has fallen silent. I am grateful that we took the chance to hear it one last time, even if it ended with me contracting COVID.

Though Hirst is gone, the message he lived by continues. That night, as with every Midnight Oil show, was a call to action. With the title of their final album, Hirst and his bandmates left us with one last command: “Resist.”

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Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board and a longtime advocate for public education and special needs families. Now based in Washington State, he writes about politics, culture, and their intersections at TheDifrntDrmr.