NXNE is always one of my most hectic weekends of the year. It's three nights in a row of packed clubs, racing between venues to make the next show, and of course, amazing music.

On night one, I checked out Moja, Machetes, and Hell Yeah Fuck Yeah.

Thursday started with a bang at The Velvet Underground with a full-on assault by Tokyo's Moja - a duo consisting of Haruhiko on bass and vocals, and Masumi on drums. The balance between trying to destroy her drums and keeping rhythm was fantastic and an amazing display of power, coming from such a petite, young woman. Moja are a great sound coming from the land of the rising sun, so keep an ear and an eye out for them to return in the future.

Next, it was over to the Kathedral to catch the 10pm set by locals The Flatliners. The admission was $20 (on top of having a pass!), which was unfortunate. I couldn't justify the cost for the twenty minutes I was going to be there.

I headed to the Bovine Sex Club, and am so glad that I went when I did, as Machetes had just stepped onto the stage. Machetes are an all female foursome from here in Toronto that features blazing guitars and bass, and punked-glam outfits to match. Having only formed back in April of this year, their stage presence was that of a band with years under their belts, not just months.

The last show I checked out was that of the ruthless Hell Yeah Fuck Yeah. I don't think any band could have surpassed the energy these boys put out. Within the first song, me and all of my photo gear were dripping with beer (par for the course of any small venue rock show, I suppose). The lead singer, Al, even took a moment to have a little puke next to the drum kit about halfway through the set. The energy level was that high. Hell Yeah Fuck Yeah are awesome. Go see them.

Day one complete. It was a good night out and I was home and in bed by 2am. I woke up on Friday, aiming to take on day two of NXNE 2008 with the same enthusiasm as the first night.

Photos by: Hargraftphotography