General Rudie

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General Rudie started back in February of 1997 as a purely ska outfit playing with some of the biggest names in the late 90s ska revival. These bands include the New York Ska -Jazz Ensemble, The Articles, the
Allstonians, The Kingpins, Mustard Plug, The Planet Smashers, Inspecter 7, The Slackers, Reel Big Fish, The Pietasters, and the Skatalites.
With its roots planted firmly in Jamaican music, the basis of
General Rudie's sound is unmistakable. However, the band blends this
knowledge of the music's origins with its modern influences to produce a
sound that is truly unique. The new record features the trad-ska sound that General Rudie are known for with a little dancehall thrown into the mix, courtesy of Ronee Nurse of Race. General Rudie's strength lies in the diversity of its members and their tastes, stretching from traditional ska, to R&B, jazz, pop and metal. This mixture combined with an awareness of ska's foundation has earned the band respect wherever they have played.



General Rudies first release for STOMP Records, Cooling The Mark, saw incredible success on the Canadian college charts peaking nationally at 20, a remarkable feat for a young band that had yet to tour. Cooling The Mark is an album that truly encapsulates the General Rudie sound. The combination of the bands creativity under the guidance of producer King Kong Girio and engineer Claus Frostell made the album a gem in the world of ska. The year 2001-2002 saw General Rudie touring all over North America including stops on the Vans Warped tour and The Victoria Ska festival.
In 2004, General Rudie came back with a second length for STOMP Records: Take Your Place, which was recorded and produced by Rod Shearer (The Planet Smashers, Bran Van 3000). This album brought the band once again all over North-America. This sophomore release also produced a video for the song "Shelter" shedding light on the street kid issues in Montreal.
The band offically announced their breakup in the summer of 2006, and played their final show on Saturday September 2nd at Cafe Campus in Montreal. A packed room filled with close friends, family and loyal fans saw rudie play all their hearts out one last time (Phil cried onstage, it was awesome.)



Nicky Popovic and D.W. Lee continue to play on the ska scene with the group STEPPER.