Rivermaya Slumbook

A couple of months ago I was commissioned to do a short piece on Rivermaya for a local Telco's website. Beats the crap outta me whether it was posted or not. The girl in charge of the website's contents resigned. So, in case it never made it online, here it is (again?).

You just released a 5-song EP. What’s the story behind You'll Be Safe Here?
Rico : The song is a promise, a vow. That in our bleakest, most desperate hours, when we are left with nothing, we will still have one another. And that, my friend, will be the only thing that matters

Will you release this song again on a future full-length album?
Rico : Perhaps. But then again, we always find it more fun to fill up a full-length album completely with all-new material.
Mark : You’ll definitely see and hear more of “You’ll Be Safe Here” in the future.

Are you working on your 11th album? When could we expect that to come out?
Rico : I don't know. We'd like to start working on it soon, i mean everyone's just bursting with ideas, but our schedules are just so packed with gigs and stuff.
Mark :It’s in the works! We think we’re gonna take our time on this one though..

I see on tv that you’re Globe Gentext endorsers…. How do you feel about that?
Rico : We’re honored to be Globe endorsers… But the honor should really go to the music - loving pinoy youth. They're the reason why we're here.

If you could have super powers, what would they be and why?
Rico :If everytime I burped, there'd be one less war in the world, yeah, that would be a cool super power.
Mark : Okey na ako sa levitation or teleportation, suko na ako sa traffic ng Pilipinas!
Mike : I want to have all the super powers i can have, para kahit ano kaya kong gawin.
Japs : Telepathy. so i'd know what/how everyone really thinks.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and why?
Rico :I'd give Jason Williams better decision-making. Then maybe he'll be MVP. Or maybe not.
Mike : I'll put the philippines a bit higher than it's current latitude, para mejo lumamig naman dito
Japs : Eliminate violence.

What’s your worst personality trait? Your best?
Rico : One answer for both questions, I'm a bit of an idealist.
Mark : Best: I think I’m really patient nowadays. Worst: I turn in to a monster when my patience runs out.
Mike : Worst - i'm lazy. Best - hmm...
Japs : I guess being too laid back sometimes. Best? hmm... lots of patience and self control.. (Could also be a worst trait.. hehe)

If you could radically change something about your appearance, what would it be?
Rico : I want the whites of my eyes black, and the black of my eyes white. Just kidding.
Mark :Just for kicks I’d like to become a black guy, para bagay na sa akin mag hiphop. Gusto ko kasi hiphop pero di talaga bagay, hehe.
Japs : Radically changing my appearance is something i've been doing since my college years so.....

What’s your pet peeve?
Rico :All-knowing music reviewers who can't sing, can't play an instrument, can't write a song, and have no experience in a recording studio. It’s like getting breakdancing tips from an ostrich.
Mark : People who throw garbage out of moving cars.
Japs : Hmmm... squeaking sounds of the fork and spoon against the plate. Crazy drivers annoy me everyday.

What major gigs can we expect from Rivermaya this summer?
Rico : A lot of major gigs. we just came from a huge gig in Iloilo. You see, only a few Metro Manila people are aware that most out of town gigs for bands are major. Say 10, 20, or even 70 thousand people each time. We played 120,000 one time in Davao.
Japs : We just had a major show at the Araneta Coliseum in April.. actually, we treat all our shows as major shows but the Araneta gig was something else..

After your summer gigs, what would be the ideal vacation or escape for you?
Rico :I was watching tv today and I think I wanna go to Egypt. ok ba dun?
Mike :My house. it's the best place in the world!
Mark : In the Philippines: Boracay (off-season), Baguio (anytime except for holy week and flower fest), Palawan (if you have the means and funds to go around all the different places), Sagada (coz ive never been there). Outside the Philippines: anywhere basta malamig!!! its just too hot here now.
Japs : Anywhere outside the city or outside the country would be perfect.

Sago Sago Pik!

Ten things you always wanted to know about Radioactive
Sago Project but were too goddamn sissy to ask
(as answered by Lourd de Veyra)



1. Saxophonist Rastem Eugenio won second runner-up in the Ginoong Orani, Bataan 1999 pageant. His talent: dancing the itik-itik, with only coconut shells to cover his near-naked body. It was suspected that a gay beautician rubbed oil all over him backstage.

2. This year, the band won its first major awards: MTV’s Most Stylish Video and Rock Video of the Year at the 2004 NU 107 Rock Awards. Two awards that have absolutely nothing to do with music.

3. The name Radioactive Sago Project does not mean anything. But its acronym, RSP, when read in the Filipino intonation, sounds like ‘raspa’.

4. The band’s very first gig was at an intermission of the press launch of the musical ‘Lean’ in ’98. They were a three-piece (drums, bass, vocals) and they didn’t know what the hell they were doing.

5. Sago’s first gigs happened at the now-defunct Oracafe where they would usually play to an audience of three—who would then leave after finally realizing that the motherfuckers ain’t gonna sing ‘Dancing Queen’.

6. The band signed a two-album recording deal with Viva in 2000. When the record bosses finally predicted that they won’t be coming out with stuff like ‘Gusto ko ng Baboy’, they just let the contract rot till hell froze over, while glimpsing gold in then-emerging acts like Salbakuta. RSP’s second album ‘Urban Gulaman’ was released by Terno Recordings this year.

7. Sago’s two worst gigs: 1) the PBA finals halftime, where they had to painfully lipsynch through ‘Gusto ko ng Baboy’ while the impatient audience pelted them with coins and plastic cups. 2) Magandang Tanghali Bayan, where they also had to lipsynch while Bayani Agbayani and Bentong plus a bunch of other corny comedians danced to ‘Humanap ka ng Pangit’. In both occasions where there were high potentials for eternal shame and ignominy, Lourd wore a pig mask.

8. Most of them have day jobs and/or other major sources of income: Lourd is a magazine copy editor for ABS-CBN publishing and works as Junior Associate of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Studies; Francis (bassist) teaches sound recording at the College of St. Benilde; Jay plays for the soul-funk quartet Wunjo; Arwin plays for the afro-latin groups Fuego and Puro Ritmo; Junjie sessions for many artists and bands; the horn players toot for religious bands, marching ensembles, and at times, show bands (including, at one point, L.A. Lopez).

In short, RSP is merely a sideline.

9. In 2001 they recorded “Hello, Hello” for a teen movie called Cool Dudes 24-7—which was not seen by a single Sago member. A year after, Lourd and Francis composed the musical score for Viva’s ‘Dos Ekis’ (a noir directed by Erik Matti) and had gotten a nomination from Urian. They were beaten by Joey Ayala’s work for ‘Batang Westside’ and they’re not complaining.

10. The members of Sago hang out in a cheapo panciteria called New City Food House in V. Luna, Quezon City. Beer is cheap, the lechon kawali and the nido soup is to-die-for, and you’ll never see Tim Yap hanging out there.

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