Few moments later, everybody met up at our usual spot in the lobby and Jeff was singing his rehashed version of Boyzone's No Matter What. Noticing that he was in a singing mood, he explained, "I'm always in a singing mood. Come on, sing with me." Told him I can't 'cause when i sing, it rains. He didn't get that joke until Judy explained to him why is that. (embarrasing moment #2). It was time for 98* to do the radio tour. Embarrasing moment #3 happened when I stopped down on a sofa in one of the radio's offices and broke it! 98* looked and smiled sheepishly .. especially Justin! (sheesh, blame it on me being big). Outside one of the stations, there was a mass of fans waiting for 98* and since 98* luuuves their fans, they signed them autographs before heading off. The bewildered security guard asked why the commotion : "Mga basketball players ba ang mga ito?" hehehe, good thing they didn't hear that!
ABS-CBN, APO show. After singing Invisible Man and Because of You, it was time for 98* to ride the MTV Para Bos jeepney (2:30 p.m.) around the ABS-CBN compound. After a few photo-op's with the MTV crew and some fans, it was time for them to go to the remaining radio stations. As for me, I was hotel-bound to meet up with my best friend Crissy and eat lunch as well. Then we hurried over to Music One and since we were 30 min. late, it was packed and seemed impossible for us to get in. (Good thing Deja saw me!) Inside, 98* & Rising was included in their top sellers (cool!) and of course, hundreds of fans of 98* waiting in line to get their cd's and tapes signed.
5:30 p.m., sound check. Drew tripped from the stage 'cause he didn't know that it moves! (Me and Crissy kept our laughs to ourselves because that happened to us earlier!). After that incident, Drew stayed on the dance floor checking how the stage looks from the audience's point of view (Admit it, Drew, you got scared!) and all the time, he was doing the running man. 8:47 p.m., we found ourselves sitting on the floor of Zu just to accomodate everybody. 9:00 struck. It was time for 98* to heat it up! The show was a success! After the show, fans were still waiting in the lobby in the hopes of getting autographs from the band. I don't know how fans knew they stayed on the 14th floor so me and Ivin of Channel V convinced them that they stayed on the 22nd floor (You guys owe us on this one!) and they believed us! As the night went deeper, it was time for us to go home again and rest of another day in the life of 98*.
october 4th, 1998
Lightest day of 98* here in Manila. They're just going to
do ASAP and afterwards, their last show at SM Megamall.
We were supposed to leave at 10:30 a.m. to be in ABS-CBN
at 11:00 for rehearsal and sound check, but Nick wasn't
ready yet and it was already 10:20 a.m.! "We're not going
to follow Filipino time?" he joked. haha, very funny.
Arriving at ABS-CBN (11:05 a.m.), Johnny saw that 98*'s
original slot at the show was 1:30 p.m. and that was the
time that we were supposed to leave for them to eat lunch
and rest! ASAP's show producers rehashed the format and
switched 98* with another number to 12:30. While the group
was doing make up, the gold record awards for 98* came in.
Cecille from Polygram approached me and told me that I'd
be one of those who'd give the awards aside from the radio
winners .. whack! I suddenly had the urge to fix my hair
and put some powder on my face! (nothing happened, still
looked daft!) After 98* sang Because of You on
stage, the host announced their awards and summoned us to
go on stage to give it to them. I gave the award to Jeff
(long story why I got his..) and after a few thank you's,
ASAP requested an acapella of True to Your Heart
that 98* eagerly did. Then, it was time for us to go to
the hotel and have lunch. Justin went to Landmark
(told you he wants to go shopping!) and around 3:00 p.m.,
30 minutes before leaving for SM Megamall, all the members
were already there. I had my laminate signed and since
there was a soccer ball sticker stuck on the back of it,
Jeff wrote, "Soccer sucks!" on the laminate. Nick joined
Jeff in tormenting me about my favorite sport. "Nah,
soccer's so boring. Soccer takes too long!" he remarked.
Ah, no fair, it's two against one!
When we got to SM Megamall (4:10 p.m.), it was packed!
Their show clothes were still the silver tracksuits that
they wore on ASAP. As if things wouldn't get better, middle
of the show (show started 4:30 because of sound check),
98* took off their jackets and revealed some skin! Fans
fainted towards the end of the show, some of them were
actually crying! Couldn't blame them. It was 98*'s last
show here.
98* arrived at hotel 7:25 p.m. and around 8:30,
Jeff trotted down to the restaurant without any shoes on
(he only had socks!) to join us (me, Johnny and Deja)
for dinner and we got into a fight again over what's
better : soccer or football. After dinner, it was time
to go to bed. (Ssh, don't tell Jeff, but I took the
Perrier bottle he left there..)
october 5th, 1998
At an ungodly 3:00 a.m. fans were still there.
Still, 98* gave in. One fan cried and Jeff hugged her.
"Don't cry, we'll be back," he said. Man, he's so sweet.
He was listening to his discman and headed straight to
the coaster after signing some stuff to catch some forty
winks. We left the hotel 4:00 a.m. because Tommy got up
late 'cause he got sick. "You even missed luggage call?"
Nick joked.
4:30 a.m., we got to the airport. It was all hugs
and kisses from the guys and then it was time for them
to go. "Bye everyone!" Thanks for everything. See you soon
for the next 98* tour!" said Jeff as they head on to
another country and do another tour..
credits goes out to chinky & teentrend mag.
they are very dark-light quality. just fiddle with your
bright control for a while and you'll see the image more clearly.
more pictures on the way..
