William Shatner is ready to rage.
Shatner, 95, will debut his new heavy metal band, The *uckers, at Chicago's Riot Fest on Sunday, Sept. 20. The band takes the Rebel Stage at Douglass Park between 5:25-6 p.m. local time.
"I decided you're such big fans of mine, that I'm going to debut my heavy metal record at Riot Fest and I hope you're there and I hope I'm there," Shatner said with a smile in a video promoting his performance, shared by Riot Fest.
Shatner, best known for his role as Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" franchise, isn't new to the music industry. Over the years, Shatner has released spoken-word, rock and blues albums, beginning with his debut album, "The Transformed Man" in 1968. He released his most recent spoken-word album, "Love
& Other Mysteries," in collaboration with country music star Brad Paisley, in August.
In 2023, Shatner was diagnosed with Stage 4 malignant melanoma. The cancer spread to his lungs and brain, but after two years of immunotherapy and surgery, he told USA TODAY he is cancer free.
Kicking off on Friday, Sept. 18, Riot Fest features headliners including Twenty One Pilots, Iggy Pop, Pixies, Tool, Pierce the Veil and Elvis Costello. Tickets are available on the Riot Fest website, starting at $130 for one-day passes and $360 for three-day passes.
Who makes up The *uckers?
Joining Shatner is guitarist Marcus Nand, guitarist and bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Last in Line, Vince Neil Band, Big Noize), guitarist Britt Lightning (Vixen) and drummer Fred Aching.
What is The *uckers upcoming album? When does it release?
The *uckers debut album is "What the F Is Heavy Metal." The album did not have a release date, as of Sept. 14.
William Shatner shares ridiculous list of performance requirements
Ahead of the festival, Riot Fest shared Shatner's rider requirements − demands from an artist in addition to a signed contract, typically fulfilled by the venue. Here's a look at the asks:
- Rename a boat in honor of William Shatner so he can captain a ship again
- One prominently displayed Riot Fest 2026 billboard with William Shatner's face and the face of one lucky fan
- A classic Chicago item to be named in tribute to William Shatner
- Co-anchor the weather with Chicago's most beloved meteorologist
- Sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at a Chicago baseball game
- Fire breathers. Many of them.
- An intro video created by GWAR.
- Artist golf cart shall be replaced by DeLorean.
- Dressing room should be themed as "Shatner's Shag Shack" to artist specifications
- Four feet of Polish sausage
- One Montreal Canadiens hockey sweater signed by John Stamos
- Eight pallets of Faygo (not to be shared with Insane Clown Posse)
- One pair of white tube socks and one pair of underwear
- An assortment of adoptable puppies, sourced from a reputable local animal rescue nonprofit
- One bowl of sauerkraut in the dressing room, ready to eat
- A bouquet of flowers in a vase (you know, something sweet, something dainty)
Why did William Shatner go metal?
In an interview with former Vice News correspondent Michael Moynihan, Shatner said it was his label, Cleopatra Records, that brought up the idea of a heavy metal album.
"I said, 'I don't know what to do.' How do you do heavy metal? How do you do rage against the dying of the light? How do you do that to music?" Shatner said during "The Moynihan Report" interview. "I thought, 'Heavy metal has got to be about ... passionate emotions. The music is a distillation of emotion."
During an interview with CNN anchor Elex Michaelson in July, Shatner also said he would be playing half-an-hour at the music festival "in the desert" in spring 2027, which Michaelson confirmed to be Coachella. As of Sept. 14, Coachella had yet to release its lineup for its festivals in April 2027.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Captain Kirk prepares for his heavy metal debut. Seriously
