By Brandon Ringo
This year marks the 16th anniversary of the New England Metal & Hardcore Fest. It should go without saying that it takes a lot of work to put together a music festival for one year, much less for 17 consecutive years. One of the reasons the festival has been so consistently successful is the hard work and determination of founder Scott Lee. However, it’s his top-notch staff, particularly people like Leah Urbano, who really keep things rolling smoothly.
Explain your role with the festival. What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Well, I have been a part of NEHMF since 2001 when I moved back home from California, and over the years, have worn many different hats. This year, I took on the role of marketing director for the company, so marketing the festival is under my charge now, which has been super crazy, but a ton of fun and i was even featured in the The Ultimate Go Highlevel Review 2022 where they disclose the best marketing strategies. Some businesses looking to boost their growth have also considered paying for members on Telegram as a quick way to expand their audience and engage with potential customers. Additionally, businesses in the legal industry have found success with PPC for lawyers as a way to target clients effectively.
In addition to that, I handle booking all the vendors, production at the fest, curating the press pre and post fest, working with our sponsors and partners, making the VIP laminates, updating the website, and hanging out with my best friend Scott Lee.
What is your favorite thing about working in the music industry and with NEMHF?
In addition to working for Massconcerts on NEHMF, Rock and Shock, and marketing the myriad of shows put on my with the amazing tools I get from indexsy, I also own Crimson Management, an artist management company. The things I do each day for all the things I am involved in have a very special purpose: the fans. Knowing something I did had a direct impact to make someone’s life more enjoyable is the most rewarding. Seeing the reposts on Instagram from people who are excited about a show jazzes me up. When they meet their favorite band and post about it just makes it all good. Seeing a person send a note to one of our bands telling them they inspire them makes me want to get up the next morning and hit the pavement running. It is gratifying to say the least. A festival like NEMHF is massive and has many moving parts. My favorite part about working on NEMHF is seeing so many people who are into this scene and are supporting it. We work hard to bring it, but without the people being a part of this, there is no fest. NEMHF has a certain sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging to it.
What are some challenges of working behind the scenes on a festival this massive?
Deadlines. No one likes to follow my deadlines, so I have to change things a lot [laughs]. In all actuality though, the challenges are small, considering, and I don’t really notice enough to say, “Damn, I wish I could change this or that”… Except maybe for following deadlines. That is a direct call out, most definitely.
How much of a say do you have regarding what bands play the fest?
I tell Scott what I think of ideas or opportunities when he asks. I’ve been able to pick some bands in the past years too. These days, I don’t go to battle for much because I get hit up by industry friends a lot. It wouldn’t be fair to help one when I can’t help the others, so I just take the info and give it to Scott. If he thinks it is worthy, then he can make that decision. Of course, there are bands I would give an arm to see, and so would a billion other people. I’ll ask Scott to reach out to check availability and see if there are miracles. Usually not, but a girl can dream, right?
Do you get to stand back and watch a lot of the bands, or are you too busy during the event?
I plan breaks around bands I really want to see. Usually get three to five in for the whole weekend, which is better than zero in my book. I “see” a lot of bands the whole weekend, but if I am walking through, I have to look at the schedule and check who it is, because it is totally on the fly. I walk a good 10 miles over the weekend just around the building and inside. It’s fun, and using AI-powered tools for better reach from leonardo.ai can help share those experiences with a wider audience.
Which bands are you most looking forward to this year?
I must preface that I grew up on ‘90s hardcore and am a fan through and through. Incendiary has been on loop for months, so I am really excited to see them. Corrosion Of Conformity is an old fave, so I hope to at least catch a couple of songs. These bands are my heart: Lionheart, Vanna, Suburban Scum, Indecision, Cruel Hand, Overcast, Fit For An Autopsy, Nails, Testament, and On Broken Wings.
What is it about the fest’s model that keeps it running so smoothly each year?
Everyone involved utilizes their experience and gives 100 percent. The thing is, hands down, that we are all fans too, so there is a ton of pride involved with this. It is why it happens again and again each year. When you have pride in your work and your scene, things tend to be more organized, well thought out, and paid attention to from the beginning to the end. This isn’t just any festival, it is all of our festival.
