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Vivabeat
Interviews • September 6, 2026
LA’s Art-Punk Pioneers Who Bridged Continents and Genres In 1978, Vivabeat emerged from Los Angeles with a sound that defied easy categorization. As I spoke with Marina and Mick years later, it became clear that this was a band always slightly out of step with the local scene -- East Coast transplants mixing with an Angeleno native, chasing a vision that leaned toward art-rock and electronic experimentation even as punk and new wave roared around them. Signed to the UK label Charisma Records after a fateful encounter with Peter Gabriel, Vivabeat created music that resonated in disco clubs, the early MTV generation, and underground art-rock circles. In this interview, they reflect candidly on their formation, influences, recordings, and the unusual path that set them apart. Scene Point Blank: You formed in Los Angeles in 1978, but parts of the lineup had East Coast roots. Did you feel fully embedded in the LA scene, or slightly outside of it? Marina: Personally, as a native Angeleno, I felt deeply immersed in the LA scene. The fact that we were signed to a UK label, however, and that more than half our band members were from the East Coast made Vivabeat seem like an outsider. We had no problem booking shows, but we never had a local scene vibe. Part of it was that we were signed to a record deal with Charisma so quickly that we didn’t have time to cultivate a local following. It would have been far better to spend … Read more
Lethal Limits
Music TherapyInterviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • September 5, 2026
There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not … Read more
UK Subs
Interviews • August 23, 2026
50 Years of Chaos: Charlie Harper and the U.K. Subs More than five decades after the first sparks of punk … Read more
Commerce or Amusement? #2
Green Noise RecordsRegular Columns / Commerce or Amusement? • August 22, 2026
Are You In The Music Business? Or Just Involved In Music? Interview Series #2. Featuring Martin Winch of Green Noise … Read more
