thePULSEBy Josh Lyford
Steeped in local metal culture, Speed Demon Promotions has been making a name for themselves the old fashioned way: through hard work, dedication and building an unparalleled reputation. With their recent merger with Internet radio station CNEU, 2012 looks to be a huge year for this local promotions company.
Josh Pineo, owner and chief operator of Speed Demon, got his start in the world of metal, playing with the band Ashes of Fate in high school and then starting Fuel of War later on down the line. Getting involved in the music scene led to booking smaller benefit shows and eventually to a more involved part in general booking. From there, Pineo began working with Worcester’s Dirtnap Entertainment. Pineo learned a lot from Dirtnap and explained, “I learned how to do certain things and I learned how not to do certain things.”
Armed with this education on the dos and don’ts of promoting, Pineo crafted Speed Demon after Dirtnap’s eventual demise. “The vision of this company was to reintroduce a level of respect to the local talent that has, unfortunately, fallen by the wayside,” Pineo says.
With this mission in mind, Pineo kept the artist at the forefront while designing his new promotion strategy. Pineo states firmly, “I’m tired of local acts getting treated like a bunch of dogs.” He plans on changing things from the inside out by carefully hand-picking acts and ensuring that the bands receive compensation for their hard work. Speed Demon also offers graphic design services to the bands it works with.
In addition to the artist-first attitude that Speed Demon Promotions has been cultivating, the company has recently teamed up with Internet radio station CNEU to provide an unrivaled level of cross promotion.
CNEU got its start in May of 2011, providing a place for unsigned bands to get their music out on the air. The station showcases a worthy unsigned band of the month and as CEO and all-in-one employee-at- arms Brad Auricchio says, “Everything we play is for unsigned artists only, guys trying to get out there and we give them a spot to play their music and let others hear it, we give them a chance to come in and let everyone know what they’re all about.”
This partnership allows for Speed Demon promoted events to receive several avenues of promotion that are not normally accessible. This, in addition to Pineo and Auricchios’ genuine appreciation of the local scene, sets the bar for other area promoters a little higher.
You can find Speed Demon Promotions and CNEU at www.facebook.com/SpeedDemonPromo for up-to-date events and station information plus a list of venues and bands that are on their roster.
