Ep510: Matt Pinfield - Record Collector

2025-08-01

Obsessive vinyl collector and radio & MTV legend Matt Pinfield discusses his music collection, holy grails, music industry stories, his recent health scares and sharing stories at the Punk Rock Museum. The Punk Rock Museum info and tickets are here Matt's book "My Insane Improbable Rock Life" is here Topics Include: Matt discusses his post-stroke meal plan after months without solid food Friends like Mike Ness from Social Distortion visited him in hospital Stroke happened at drummer John Tempesta's ...

The Punk Rock Museum info and tickets are here

Matt's book "My Insane Improbable Rock Life" is here

Topics Include:

Matt discusses his post-stroke meal plan after months without solid food
Friends like Mike Ness from Social Distortion visited him in hospital
Stroke happened at drummer John Tempesta's house, remembers calling EMS
Had both stroke and meningeal pneumonia with 85% mortality rate
Daughters told he would die, was touch and go situation
Lost feeling on right side, still numb but walking with cane
Previous near-death experiences: aneurysm at 15, car accident, sobriety struggles
Recovery includes acupuncture from former punk drummer and intense physical therapy
Currently doing tours at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas
Favorite museum artifact is rare Germs concert footage never released
Stories of interviewing Iggy Pop who once knocked microphone from hands
Hosted Wayne Kramer tribute concert at Sing Sing prison for inmates
Getting punk acts on MTV 120 Minutes easier than expected
Started in college radio at Rutgers, only 13 alternative stations existed
CBGBs regular, Athens Georgia born with B-52s/R.E.M. connections there
Kevin Bacon joked there's only two degrees of separation with Matt
Neil Young remains his interview "holy grail"
Matt is a serious 45 RPM collector
Lived in Paul Kantner's old apartment with psychedelic laser showerhead
DJed at clubs where James Gandolfini was regular
Friends with Don Bolles from Germs, both love 70s glam records
Personal rule: must buy something from every record store visited
Also supports opening bands by buying their vinyl and t-shirts
Postal service recently stole entire box of rare 45s shipment
Still searching for holy grail records like Panic Squad 12-inch single
Tom Petty acetate test pressing gift from friend Chuck Rocha
Found rare Cherry Slush single that climbed charts before label folded
Optimistic about vinyl's future as young people discover physical music
Believes vinyl offers irreplaceable warmth and "whole other world" experience
Plans Vegas record shopping and Australian record exchange with Nate