Midnight Oil ProfileNine months since Midnight Oil's founding drummer Rob Hirst passed away, the revered rocker's final interview has been released.
Taking part in the Heart & Soul podcast with host David Lesser, Hirst sat down for the chat at his house just a few months before he passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 70 in January.
"[This] just changes everything," Hirst told Lesser while reflecting on his battle with cancer. "Because I'm one of those vain men of a certain age, I did get a lot of my own self-esteem from being strong. That's gone; I don't have any breath power anymore, I can't play the drums anymore.
"But here's the thing. I did that for 50 years, almost 60 years if I go right back to when I first got playing on a pair of drumsticks that mum and dad gave me when I was seven. And I set up the bar stools with a snare and a tom-tom and a floor tom and started to play along with Ringo [Starr].
"I really do feel like that I had every success and opportunity beyond anything imaginable in this country and overseas right up until the end of that career."
In April 2025, Hirst revealed that he had received his cancer diagnosis six months after wrapping up Midnight Oil’s illustrious farewell tour of Australia.
At the time, he said he decided to make the diagnosis public because “wanted to get the story of pancreas cancer out there,” as it’s a cancer that isn’t discussed all that much despite being on the rise in Australia.
In his interview with Lesser, Hirst remained stoic in the face of his worsening condition, taking the moment to reflect on where he had come from, the good fortune of his opportunities and career, and on to where he found himself at the time: "What the fuck? What possibly could I, or any of us, complain about?"
However, as he ruminated on the topic of death – admitting he had "expected longevity" due to his mother, father, and grandmother living until their 80s, 90s, and 100s, respectively – he reflected on the "silver linings".
"I'm quite debilitated now, so I don't expect that I'll get my weight or strength or my breath power back," he explained. "I don't miss playing the drums. I can still write songs with Jim [Moginie] just strumming my Gibson or my old Martin guitar. I can still write songs and I play with great musicians again. Whether it be Dom [Turner] and Joe [Glover] from Backsliders or with Hamish Stuart.“
"I could still do all the stuff I love," he continued. "I've still got loving family and friends that have been so wonderful during this but throughout the decades.
"So I'm going in peace and with great thankfulness."
Elsewhere in the conversation, Hirst also takes the time to provide a character assessment on each of his Midnight Oil bandmates, including calling Peter Garrett the "best ever" frontman, "not just in Australia, probably the world."
Last month, Garrett reflected on the possibility of whether Midnight Oil could ever tour again following their final dates in 2022 and the loss of Hirst earlier in the year. "Never say never," Garrett teased.
“I couldn’t see us going out and doing big tours or anything like that,” he qualified. “Would we play, would the three of us get up and do something with him not drumming?
“Possibly. I mean, it feels too soon now.”
In June, Midnight Oil confirmed that Hirst's final book – World Is Almost At Peace – would be released in October.
Described as a celebration of his prolific life in music, the volume collects Hirst's entire lyrical catalogue from his myriad musical collaborations, and pairs them with early versions, unseen photos, and behind-the-scenes stories from both Hirst and his musical peers.
World Is Almost At Peace will be released on Monday, 26 October, via Hardie Grant Books and Pantera Press. You can pre-order your copy here.
