Mike De Lorenzo is not only a walking punk rock encyclopedia, he's also a really nice guy. The guitarist has spent most of his life playing in hardcore and punk bands (Sheer Terror, C.R., Serpico, Kill Your Idols, etc.), and he's always been one of the more affable people I've met in the underground scene throughout the years.
When I decided to start doing the Record Collector series, De Lorenzo was one of the first names that popped into my head. Read on and see why.
How long have you been collecting hardcore vinyl?
I've been collecting records since I'm a young kid, but I guess I'd say 1986 is when shit got real [laughs].
Where/how do you usually find your hardcore records?
Mostly Discogs, eBay, and record shows. There's a couple of shops like Holdfast in Asbury Park, NJ that hold it down hard as well.
What is the most you paid for a hardcore record, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it?
I paid $225 for a Together comp. [Former Black Army Jacket guitarist] Andrew Orlando hooked the deal up with [record collector] Dave Galgano.
What is your most prized hardcore record and why?
Oh shit...I dunno [laughs]. I have an original Dirty Rotten EP that was gifted to me by an old pal, [former Serpico drummer] TJ Quatrone, about 25 years ago.
Outside of the money you spend, what do you hate most about record collecting in the hardcore world?
I hate my OCD and the need to have every version of most records, first and foremost [laughs]. Other than that, I hate pretentious asshole record collectors.
Which record(s) are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
I've never owned, nor have I ever been able to find, a copy of Damage's Sins of our Fathers at a reasonable price
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Follow Mike on Instagram and hook him up with that Damage record.
Tagged: cr, enrage, hardcore, kill your idols, milhouse, punk, record collector, serpico, sheer terror
