Original songs and launch of the single “Mandalay” by Patrick Burgess and DC, with friends Caroline West and Michael Dubrevovich

Patrick Burgess is a singer songwriter who regularly performs his original songs in many countries. He is also a human rights lawyer whose work has taken him through the mud of the Rwandan genocide, the deserts of Yemen, in Afghanistan, Burma, Timor Leste and many other conflicts. His original songs tell the inspirational stories of the characters he has met during those journeys. Patrick Burgess has released two well received international albums with a new release of ten original songs due for release in August 2025. His original music can be found on Spotify and Youtube.

DC is one of Australia’s leading guitar players and multi instrumentalist. He is a full-time music producer with his own state of the art studio and has played in a broad range of Australian bands including the Ghostwriters (together with members of Midnight Oil,) Matt Finish and the legendary surf band Taman Shud. In this gig DC will be predominantly be playing a 100 year old Dobro slide guitar.

Caroline West is an indie folk singer songwriter guitarist who has written songs for multiple award winning artists. She is a regular at festivals and local gigs with her band West &Young. Michael Dobrijevich is an accomplished guitarist , Uke and Mandolin player and well known as a founding member of The Fukers.

What to expect at the show

Among the shows Patrick Burgess and DC performed in the recent past were two sold-out ‘totally acoustic’ shows at Humph Hall. The May 4 gig will be part of their “Stories and Songs” tour in which the stories and characters in the songs are introduced and explained before they are played. The material will include songs from the Congo, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar as well as lively celebrations of love, drinking coffee, surfing and growing up on Manly Beach. Caroline West will open the night with a range of her intelligent original rock and country songs, supported by Michael’s smooth picking.

The benefit

All of the proceeds of ticket sales and donations provided through this performance will be given directly to the victims of the massive recent earthquake in Myanmar which destroyed 90% of the houses in the area around the city of Mandalay and killed more than 4,000 people. The aid to the victims will be carefully managed by the Burma team of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) the non profit human rights organization co-founded by Patrick and his wife Galuh Wandita, 15 years ago. Donations to the earthquake victims can be made here.

The single and video “Mandalay.”

Patrick Burgess and DC’s new single “Mandalay,” is inspired by one of AJAR’s Burmese staff, Chit Min Lay, who as an 18 year old attended two university demonstrations supporting democracy. For that he was arrested by soldiers of the military dictatorship and sentenced to 31 years in prison. He was released after 14 long years. The song tells the love story of two student activists intoxicated by their moral struggle and the clandestine struggle for freedom…. “with a new nom de guerre/ and the smell of your hair / falling in love as the smoke filled the air/…I said I will be George Orwell/ she said you can call me, Mandalay…. Through the dark nights of his prison term he dreams of Mandalay, with the vision of her running to him from the river bank, in a beautiful flowing white dress. And then . . . you will have to listen to the song to find out what happens! The video clip was shot by Burmese film makers in various locations inside and outside Myanmar.

Contact the host of Myanmar Earthquake Fundraiser @ Humph Hall