William Shatner Is Launching a Heavy Metal Band at 95—And His Rider Demands Are Absolutely Unhinged

William Shatner isn’t slowing down. The 95-year-old Star Trek legend just announced he’s fronting a heavy metal band called The *uckers, and they’re making their live debut at Chicago’s Riot Fest on September 20. Shatner revealed the news through an Instagram Reel with genuine enthusiasm, saying he hopes both he and the fans will show up to experience his new heavy metal record. What started as an unexpected career pivot has already become the kind of cultural moment that reminds us why Shatner has stayed iconic for decades—he’s genuinely willing to be weird and have fun with it.

The comedy gold comes from his rider demands, which Riot Fest publicly shared. Beyond the typical artist requests, Shatner is asking for fire breathers to perform during his set, four feet of Polish sausage, and perhaps most importantly, he wants his golf cart replaced with a DeLorean. Yes, really. The level of self-awareness and humor in these demands shows Shatner knows exactly how chaotic this whole thing is, and he’s leaning into it completely. This isn’t someone trying to stay relevant through desperation; this is someone having the time of their life.

The announcement comes just three months after Shatner had to publicly call out a Facebook group spreading AI-generated fake news about him having stage 4 cancer. Those fake stories were monetized, which means the people behind the account were literally making money from false claims about his health. Fans were reposting them, sending sympathy messages to his family, all while scammers profited. It’s a dark reminder of how dangerous misinformation can be, especially when AI-generated content blurs the line between real and fake. Against that backdrop, Shatner’s metal band announcement feels like a victory lap against the noise. What’s your take—are you buying a ticket to Riot Fest, or are you streaming the record?