The Moment Of Ruth

Upcoming young female rock singers always seem to have to endure comparisons with Janis Joplin or Joni Mitchell – just as new singer/songwriters used to be burdened with the suggestion that they might be “the new Bob Dylan” (when in fact there was only one of that kind).

Irksome as it may be, I would have to say that Olivia Ruth, a force of nature from Queensland, Australia, brings to mind elements of both Janis and Joni, with the raw power of the former and the vocal acrobatics of the latter.

Ultimately, she is more Janis than Joni... and in fact more Janis than Janis, in that, to my mind, her passionately beautiful voice, which seems to come from every fibre of her being, leaves Joplin in the shade.

In a bizarre way, her phrasing and the tendency of her voice to dominate, dictate and embody the whole feel of a song, remind me more of the amazing David Surkamp, frontman of prog rock greats Pavlov’s Dog, than of any other singer.

Olivia Ruth crowdfunded her current tour of the UK which I was lucky enough to catch at the New Cross Inn, south London. She is backed up by an excellent three-piece band, but, to be honest, she doesn’t need anything but her guitar and that remarkable voice. The more we hear of that, the better.

My World Tour

Yesterday I had a quick meeting in Kenya before early-evening drinks in Australia. And prior to that I'd managed to tour the Greek islands and make brief stops in Florida and Chile.

Only the World Travel Market, in London, can allow you to tour the world this quickly... and to meet countless old friends and contacts along the way.

But as with so many gatherings these days, the main topic of conversation was how tough it is for all of us: those starting out as travel writers, those who have been writing for decades, the big travel operators, the small travel operators...

However, there was plenty of good humour and optimism too, so maybe we're not all cruising on the Titanic... even though it sometimes feels like it.

Oz The Great And Powerful

I've been away. Now I'm back. From the land where beer does flow and men chunder...

I've been dodging kangaroos and snakes, climbing mountains, hiking rainforests, exploring caves and swimming in the Southern Ocean... all part of just one working week.

There was a time when I thought Australia was the last place on earth I wanted to visit. Now, having been there twice, I've totally fallen in love with it. Put very simply, here's why...