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.