Midnight Oil fans raise $90,000 to preserve drummer Rob Hirst's kit
Midnight Oil fans raised $90,000 to save drummer Rob Hirst's Ludwig kit for the Australian Performing Arts Collection.
Midnight Oil's fan club, the Powderworkers, launched a fundraising campaign to save Rob Hirst's drum kit from storage. The black Ludwig drums powered the band from 1979 to their final shows in 2022, surviving trucks, risers, water and hundreds of gigs.
The winning auction bid was $77,500, with further donations bringing the total to $90,000. The money is split equally between Support Act and MusicNT's Fix 'Em Up Truck campaign.
The kit now sits in the Encore! exhibition at Arts Centre Melbourne.
At a Tuesday night event, musicians and Hirst's family celebrated the fans' effort and launched his posthumous book, World Is Almost at Peace, featuring lyrics, photos and stories.
- $90,000
- Total funds raised
- $77,500
- Winning bid
- 1979 to 2022
- Years in use
- Encore! exhibition, Arts Centre Melbourne
- Display location
Why it mattersA dedicated fan community preserved an important piece of Australian music history that Hirst intended not to gather dust, and the funds raised help support musicians in hardship.
AustraliaAustralians can now visit Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst's legendary kit in Melbourne, and the fundraising supports local musicians in crisis.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 4 h ago
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