In the 21st Century they came for me.

Cannibals of Suns, it was all I could do to see

Often misspelt and usually misunderstood, Rococo were one of the most progressive of London's rock bands in the 1970s. Only now, in the 21st Century, can much of their music be made available. The band have reformed as a four-piece to promote their original albums, "The Living Rock" and "HoodLum Fun" - now on CD.

With lead singer Ian Raines taking over the role of bass guitar, they started performing live again in Summer 2003 and are recording a new album. In the 1970s, Rococo frequently broke attendance records at The Marquee Club in London's Wardour Street and at other top rock venues throughout the city.

Always leaning towards the alternative, underground rock scene, they also promoted their own gigs, appeared at the Windsor Free Festival and the legendary anti-Establishment hippy community centre, The Warehouse in Twickenham but also worked through the Chrysalis agency, which led them to support Ten Years After at London's Rainbow Theatre. Other bands they worked alongside in the Seventies included Thin Lizzy, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets, Climax Chicago Blues Band, Curved Air and Genesis

Rococo built up a devoted following and featured Ian Raines (lead vocals), Roy Shipston (keyboards/vocals), Rod Halling (guitar/vocals), Clive Edwards (drums) and John "Rhino" Edwards on bass guitar. Disguised as The Brats, they inadvertantly became involved in the vanguard of the Punk movement, although Rococo's music was always more adventurous, varied and intricate than the efforts of The Clash or the Sex Pistols a few years later. But it had the same energy.

Young and angry, they cruised into the finals of the Melody Maker contest in 1974, using their pseudonym, and audaciously advertised in MM the prizewinners' final at The Round House as "The Brats plus 12 support acts". Consequently, the organisers deemed not to declare them winners, although they took most of the major prizes. In a review of the Punk era several years later, the NME described The Brats as "legendary".

Rococo also fired out their advanced material - from two-minute pop songs to lengthy Rock epics - on the UK club and college circuit, but despite several attempts to sign them, record companies never quite knew what to make of a band that played a country lick one minute, a pop tune the next and 10-minute classic Gothic prog after that.

They released three singles: "Ultrastar" (b/w their heavy riff anthem "Wildfire") on Decca's progressive Deram label in 1973; the novelty Phil Spector spoof "Follow That Car", on the B-side, more heavy rock with "Lucinda (Flint n'Tinder Love") through Mountain Records in 1976 - a Powerplay on Radio Luxembourg and "Home Town Girls", their Beach Boys tribute (flip side "Quicksilver Mail") under another pseudonym, Future, on a small independent label in 1981.

Now the first two albums - "The Living Rock" and "Hoodlum Fun" - are at last available, on Flopidiscs.