Ron Whitehead

near death on The Viking Mountain and SOUTHSIDE Lives 

hello family and friends!!! my most amazing Iceland visit yet!!! solo climbed 
The Viking Mountain. wind was howling at the bottom. snow ice mudslides steep 
climbs then it started raining. when i reached the top the wind got 20 times 
stronger and the rain began to pour. drenched to the bone. the giant boulders 
at the top were slippery. i could barely hold on. and the wind was pulling on 
my backpack. i felt like a toothpick with a parachute on my back. i could see 
myself being pulled hundreds of feet out into the air and the long fall. several 
climbers have fallen from here to their deaths. 3 times it nearly happened to 
me. then i crawled behind a boulder which blocked some of the wind. i rested 
there for 15 minutes. i had epiphanies. then i took my 1.5 liter red wine bottle 
out of my backpack and stood up facing the wind. i raised a toast to the fierce 
Norse Gods thanking them for embracing and accepting me. i took a long drink 
emptying half the bottle. i embraced the wind which blew all sorrow all Sarah 
right out of me. i said God bless Sarah and Wes and their baby. i let go of them. 
i let go self suffering. i claimed complete freedom, at all levels of being, 
for myself and everyone. 
i was healed. i made my descent.
so. entire trip amazing. climbing lava black snow capped mountains, hiking 
beside crystal clear blue water rapids mountains rivers ocean, swimming outside 
in geothermally heated pools, wanderings thru Thingvellir (sacred nature and Viking site), 
inspired performances, healings, visits with old and new friends. road warrior 
friend and fellow SOUTHSIDE member Scott Mertz was with me for over a week then 
he headed on to The Netherlands. this was Scott´s first visit to Iceland. he got 
to experience all the natural beauty (land and people) i´ve described to him 
and others) for long time. we stayed (i´m still here) with Olafur Gunnarsson 
(Iceland´s leading writer, world class writer and storyteller, his work worthy 
of Nobel Prize in Literature) and his beautiful wife Elsa and sons Peter and 
Kolpee (great singers musicians). they are some of the most beautifully wonderful 
people on the planet. and their home (the house and its location out in Iceland nature) 
are inspiringly gorgeous. i´ve loved every minute of it. and i also got to spend 
weekend visiting with my old friend fellow road warrior, and co-founder with 
me of The Viking Hillbilly Apocalypse Revue, Michael Dean Odin Pollock who 
happens to be one of the best musicians on the planet. Michael and i got caught 
up on all fronts plus we had long visit with his son Marlon who is one of the 
best rap/hip hop artists anywhere. we also visited with Marlon´s friend Poetrix, 
himself a new rap/hip hop star here in Iceland. i also got to visit and reconcile 
friendship with my old friend poet activist Birgitta Jonsdottir, and visited 
with her handsome sons Neptunus and Delphin. I went read and spoke with her at 
Free Tibet protest in front of Chinese Embassy. The Beat Festival at Stora 
Klopp/Big Rock received publicity from all Iceland´s top newspapers and radio. 
Iceland´s leading poets writers filmmakers publisher and cultural figures were 
in attendance. we were all lifted up and inspired. It was one of the best Beat 
Festivals i´ve ever participated in. and because of its success there is talk 
that there will be another even bigger festival next year. 
Scott and I performed with Michael Pollock and Birgitta and Dean Ferrell and 
others. Thor, Iceland´s leading poet, gave a hilarious and poetically genius 
presentation. Olafur, who translated Kerouac´s On the Road into Icelandic, gave 
an inspired talk and his sons Peter and Kolpee sang one of their own songs which 
i guarantee you will become a #1 hit, plus they performed with Michael, Scott, 
and me. everyone sang Happy Birthday to Johan, Olafur´s publisher and Iceland´s 
leading publisher. a gigantic bonefire was built. hundreds of hot dogs were 
served. songs were sung. talks visits went on deep 
into the night. 
a few days later Michael, Scott, and I tore it up for packed house at BabaLu. 
Oli Palli, voted Iceland´s #1 dj and program manager for Radio Iceland, was there. 
he is now playing our new SOUTHSIDE LOUNGE cd on Radio Iceland. Oli Palli is a 
great guy. he has played Michael´s work for years, with UTANGARDSMENN (voted 
Iceland´s Best Rock Group of the 20th Century) and all the other bands and 
musicians Michael has worked with for over 30 years. he´s also consistently 
played my cds, including the ones i´ve done with Michael. 
hm. way too much to tell. oh. Olafur picked Scott and me up at airport in 
his baby blue 1968 Cadillac. what a sight!!! pure beauty. in coming weeks 
i´ll write the entire experience down, probably in the new book i´ve started 
which will be titled I AM THE FUCKING STORM: God´s Open Nerve, The Storm Generation 
which yes will mention the Insomniacathons but will not be the official INSOMNIACATHON book. 
what i had hoped and prayed for has come true. i have been reborn into new inspired life.
thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!
i hope to visit with all of you soon!!!
your friend always
Ron
Stora Klopp/Big Rock
Iceland
p.s. Scott Mertz and I had many long talks including talks bout SOUTHSIDE. the good 
news for us is that SOUTHSIDE Lives. soon as we both get back to Kentucky we´re going 
to Powwow and dive into booking non-stop SOUTHSIDE shows and tours and shipping 
copies of the new SOUTHSIDE LOUNGE cd out for airtime and review. we are sending 
energies out for new female lead singer but in mean time we´re gonna continue 
booking and performing shows. yeeefuckinhaw!!!!!!! 
p.p.s. many Iceland photos and other photos and new film footage plus exciting 
announcements on the way.
Thanks for staying tuned.

Ron From Iceland

ron_iceland (37K)
Ron performing at Beat Festival in Iceland
Photo by Birgitta Jonsdottir

mertz_ice (35K)
Scott Mertz performing at Beat Festival in Iceland
Photo by Birgitta Jonsdottir

iceland (65K)
Spectating the event
Photo by Birgitta Jonsdottir

i_am_storm (42K)
I am the Fucking Storm
Photo by Birgitta Jonsdottir

BURGOO on KET 

BURGOO, a film by South Carolina filmmaker Stan Woodward, will be shown on KET
(Kentucky´s PBS affiliate) June 19, 2008 at 9pm EDT. The following week there will be 
multiple broadcasts on all KET stations of both the one hour and two hour versions. 
The film includes Ron Whitehead and Sarah Elizabeth. Sarah´s 'Burgoo' song 
(lyrics by Sarah and Ron), from her WHEN THE REDBUDS BLOOM cd, is the film´s title track.
A 30-second promotional clip from the film, featuring Sarah and Ron at Lawrenceburg´s 
Annual Burgoo Festival, will be shown on KET to promote the film. 
I hope all of you get a chance to watch this fascinating film which could only have been
made in Kentucky. 
Thanks!
Ron
Big Rock
Iceland
may 6, 2008

Beat Festival in Iceland

A BEAT- DAY AT BIG ROCK

        MAY 3rd 2008

The Icelandic novelist Olafur Gunnarsson, author of some 20 books and translator of Kerouac lives on a small farm four miles out of Reykjavik. The farm is called Stora-Klopp which translates into Big - Rock. On may 3rd 2008 a Beat-day will be held at the farm. The following will perform or give a reading;


Many More Surprise Guests to appear
national & International! :)

Do share this with freinds & associates &
do Google the Artists...several of the writers/poets works have been translated
and are available in several countries/languages.


Ron Whitehead & SOUTHSIDE

SOUTHSIDE LOUNGE

front1 (51K)

From Left to Right: Andy Cook, Scott Mertz, Southside Freddy Wethington, Sarah Elizabeth, Ron Whitehead

Photo By Jen Burks


Published in Heaven Audio
$15
now available at earX-tacy records, www.tappingmyownphone.com,
and all SOUTHSIDE shows including INSOMNIACATHON 2008, April 11 & 12.
cd liner notes/credits:

1 The Outlaw Poetry of Sorcery Ron Whitehead vocals, Southside Freddy Wethington electric guitar
2 Tuesday Siren Andy Cook didgeridoo & bodhran
3 Trouble Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
4 Some Say I Got Devil written by Melanie Safka. arrangement by Sarah Elizabeth
   Sarah vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
5 You Wish written by Scott Mertz
   Scott vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
6 The Shape of Water Ron vocals
7 Saint John the Gambler written by Townes Van Zandt. arrangement by Sarah Elizabeth
   Sarah vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
8 4th person singular Ron vocals, Sarah guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Scott harmonica, Andy bodhran
9 The Queen of Beckley West Virginia written by Scott Mertz
   Scott vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
10 Memories of You Sarah Elizabeth vocals
11 Tapping My Own Phone Ron vocals, Sarah hollers, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Scott harmonica, Andy didgeridoo
12 Tornadic Circulations written by Scott Mertz & Southside Freddy Wethington
   Scott vocals & guitar, Freddie electric guitar, Andy bodhran
13 Alcohol and Pills written by Fred Eaglesmith. two additional verses by Sarah Elizabeth
   Sarah vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
14 Searching for Jack Kerouac Ron vocals, Sarah wails & moans, Scott harmonica, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy bodhran
15 Family Tree written by Southside Freddy Wethington & Scott Mertz
   Scott vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
16 Bury Me written by Dwight Yoakam. arrangement by Sarah Elizabeth
   Sarah vocals & guitar, Southside Freddy electric guitar, Andy kanjari
17 comes night and wind / Talk To Me Ron vocals, Andy bodhran, Scott harmonica, Southside Freddy electric guitar
18 No More Fingers Pointing to The Moon Ron vocals
19 crossing the coal barren wilderness Ron vocals, Southside Freddy electric guitar


all spoken word poetry written by Ron Whitehead
music accompaniment to spoken word composed spontaneously by each musician.
Entire album recorded live, one take.
recorded, mixed, & mastered by Kevin Ratterman at The Funeral Home. Louisville , Kentucky . March 2008.
photography by Jen Burks
design by Sarah Elizabeth
webmaster Marcus Maraldo
for more info and to book Ron Whitehead & SOUTHSIDE go to official website www.tappingmyownphone.com
thanks for tuning in. spread the word.


special thanks to John Timmons & earX-tacy records (Kentucky), Frank Messina (New York/New Jersey), Dr. Nanine Henderson (Indiana/Kentucky), Mike Driskell & Dawn Tilton (Kentucky), Michael & Kris Young (Kentucky), Kyle Anne Citrynell (Kentucky), Bob Holman (New York), Olafur Gunnarsson (Iceland), Ian McIlvaine (California, Calvin Jerome Presnell & Rani Bri Whitehead (North Carolina), Tom Johnston (Kentucky), and Dr. Suzette Henke for helping to make this project possible.

Southside has added two new members: Erica Jones on bassoon and
Scott Moore on fiddle violin.




stay tuned for much exciting news soon to be announced!!!
Thanks to All of You for visiting!!!
Ron
the wanderer
April 20th, 2008
aha

Ron's books, cds, and t-shirts are available in the new Gift Shop.

Book Ron Whitehead and SOUTHSIDE for 2008!
Booking, Purchases & more information:
email ron@tappingmyownphone.com



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