Victor DeLorenzo

Who is Victor DeLorenzo?

Victor DeLorenzo is an American musician, actor and filmmaker best known as the drummer for the folk-punk band the Violent Femmes. He was born in 1954, the son of Victor and Charlotte Delorenzo, grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and has lived in Milwaukee since. He has been a drummer since the age of sixteen, but an actor since the age of five. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, he auditioned for and was accepted into Theatre X in 1976, and worked with them in various roles for more than twenty years.

As a drummer, DeLorenzo paired up with bassist Brian Ritchie in 1981, as a rhythm section that they called "Violent Femmes". When singer, guitarist and songwriter Gordon Gano joined them in 1980, the band kept the name. DeLorenzo's father loaned the band $10,000 to record their eponymous debut album in 1982. However, the band was forced to delay its release until 1983 after they signed to Slash Records.

DeLorenzo's signature sound is due to his minimalist drum kit. He often uses nothing more than a snare drum, a tranceaphone and steel brushes. The tranceaphone consists of a metal bushel basket inverted over a tom. He favors this style of kit because in their early days, the band often played on the streets.