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The Survivors/Stratford Survivors bio (below was given to me by Tom Andrukevich) The Survivors started in 1976 after Tom Andrukevich brought the first Ramones album into High School and was roundly laughed at by all but a few students. Those few guys formed a band, and by 1978 they were playing locally and had opened a few shows for the Ramones. Successful and still in their teens, they lost two key members in late ‘79. Intense drummer “Mad” Mike Czekaj and Tom recruited Bunnell High School buddy Dave Flynn to join up and the newly renamed Stratford Survivors continued their quest. By this time the novelty of punk rock had faded a bit and the guys dug deep into their record collections and developed a harder sound that included garage, soul and sixties instrumental influences. Anything went and it did, these guys played ALL the time and loved it! Gigs ranged from opening for the Thompson Twins and Bow Wow Wow to playing deserted biker bars with all the lights turned off. Three way drum solos and serious versions of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” rounded out the sets of furious Rock and Roll. They traveled up the east coast and back and made many friends. They jammed and did EVERYTHING together. They found kindred spirits in the Replacements and RI’s Plan 9. Their one 45 was produced by their friend Daniel Rey of Ramones and “Pet Cemetary” fame. By the mid-eighties they burned out and up rather than do a slow fade. They remained friends, along with Tom Hearn, who was more an inspiration than a manager and with them solidly from their very first gig to the end. (below is a quote from Bob Stinson of the Replacements that appeared in Trouser Press magazine in 1984) “Well, other than myself…let me think. No, I’m kidding…let’s see…There’s this one band I really like from Alabama called Carnival Season. They’re a good, really young pop band and they’re excellent musicians. And then there’s this other band the Stratford Survivors from Connecticut… God those are the only two I really like; you couldn’t help but to like ‘em, they were just that good.” (now it’s me talking) Stratford Survivors probably should have made it big. They wrote excellent songs and had a pop mainstream appeal without losing sight of their punk rock roots. Most of these guys still continue playing music today which just proves their level of dedication and passion for the music they started playing as teenagers. With some luck a complete Stratford Survivors retrospective may appear one of these days. They did a LOT of recording of which only a handful of songs have yet to be released. I’ll be the first one in line to buy it! Tom was a major help in putting together the “Up All Night” cd and I owe him many thanks for that. The drummer Mike Czekaj (pronounced “check eye”) has a band currently called The Live Ones who play the smokinest garagey rock and roll you ever heard. Go see them! Discography 1983 - self titled 7” EP, Rockhouse International Records Need Your Love/8 Hour Countdown/Laredo 2003 - Shielded BY Death Vol.3 compilation LP, Dionysus Records 8 Hour Countdown 2003 - Garage Justice Vol.1 CD, Deep Eddy Records 8 Hour Countdown 2004 - Meet Me In The Time Tunnel compilation CD, Wizzard In Vinyl Records Now I Know 2005 - Up All Night compilation CD, Incas Records She Knew (recorded by the original line-up as “The Survivors” 1978
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