The Last Of The Human Troubadours

Image Credit: Peter McGhie

Jackie Marshall brings The Last Of The Human Troubadours to the stage, launching her fifth album on a special tour with long-time collaborator Chris Pickering and the beautifully haunting Black Square Quartet.

Marshall’s writing is direct and disarming, tracing a path through uncertain times with warmth, humour and clear-eyed honesty. The program moves between original songs, an obscure Joni Mitchell cover, an Irish/Scottish traditional, and the oldest surviving written composition in the Western canon, the 2000-year-old Seikilos Epitaph, with its simple, enduring line: while you live, shine.

Featuring Nobody Tell The Birds, Chop Wood Carry Water, The Next Right Thing, I Am Heard, Cool Calm Connected, Crickets For Claudia, A Prayer, Nathan La Franeer, The Parting Glass and Seikilos Epitaph.

With the Black Square Quartet’s finely detailed arrangements, this collaboration brings quiet intensity and clarity to each song. Thoughtful, grounded and deeply felt.

Tour Dates 2026

Coolum Civic Centre

Saturday 11 July | Time: 7pm | Location: 2-4 Park St, Coolum Beach | Tickets: events.humanitix.com

Maleny Community Centre

Sunday 12 July | Time: 4pm | Location: 23 Maple St, Maleny | Tickets: events.humanitix.com

Redland Performing Arts Centre

Friday 24 July | Time: 7pm | Location: 2/16 Middle St, Cleveland | Tickets: rpac.com.au

Majestic Theatre

Saturday 25 July | Time: 7pm | Location: 3 Factory St, Pomona | Tickets: themajestictheatre.com.au

Eudlo Hall

Sunday 26 July | Time: 4pm | Location: 19 Rosebed St, Eudlo | Tickets: events.humanitix.com

Jackie Marshall is many things: an inveterate creative, multi-artform explorer, and “that rare thing: an Aussie original” (Weekend Australian). But she might describe herself as many other things too: mother, mystic, restless spirit, moon-gazer, forest-lover, survivor, spontaneous adventurist, heart-centred anarchist, and eternal optimist. With her unrestrained spirit and immense talents, this Wiradjuri-born Magandjin-based artist shines as an acclaimed singer, musician, songwriter, poet, illustrator and actor.

Chris Pickering is a songwriter, composer, academic and musician based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. He was born and raised on Githabul Country in south-east Queensland, and learned to play guitar, drums, bass, and piano alongside writing songs and playing in bands. From 2009-2013 he moved to Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, USA, where he wrote songs on Music Row and performed and toured as an independent artist. He has released four full-length albums of original material, and composed many works that bridge the worlds of popular and art music.

Formed in 2018, the beautifully haunting Black Square Quartet takes its name from Kasimir Malevich’s influential minimalist painting. The quartet is known for championing new and Australian works, having premiered music by Thomas Green, Cathy Likhuta, Brenda Gifford and others, and collaborating with artists such as Trichotomy, Sarah Curro and Steve Newcomb.

This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund - a partnership between Queensland Government, through Arts Queensland, and Sunshine Coast Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.