‘Star Trek’ Star William Shatner, 95, Just Made Metal History With His Wildest Performance Yet
William Shatner has spent decades proving that reinvention has no expiration date, turning what could have been a quiet post-‘Star Trek’ career into a string of increasingly unexpected pivots. From spoken-word music projects to spaceflight, the man has built a reputation for doing things nobody saw coming.
Even by his own eclectic standards, though, his latest move stands out. At 95 years old, an age when most people are decades removed from anything resembling a rock stage, Shatner decided it was time to try something he’d genuinely never done before.
This past weekend, Shatner made his debut as a heavy metal performer, taking the stage with a live backing band for the very first time in his long career. The milestone unfolded across two nights in Chicago, first at an intimate club show and then in front of a much larger festival crowd.
Shatner’s metal debut actually happened on Saturday, September 19, during an aftershow at Park West in Chicago, where he performed alongside his newly formed backing band, The *uckers. The show doubled as a warm-up ahead of his scheduled appearance at Riot Fest the following evening.
The setlist blended covers with original material, including renditions of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” Shatner delivered the vocals in his signature dramatic, spoken-word style rather than traditional singing, backed by musicians tearing through the instrumentals behind him. He also debuted three original compositions, “Rage,” “Sky,” and “One Fear,” using that same theatrical delivery.
William Shatner (95) performing on stage 👀 https://t.co/3T3RkKGwmi
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) September 21, 2026
Shatner’s foray into metal ties into a full album project titled ‘What the F Is Heavy Metal?,’ currently in the works for Cleopatra Records. The record is set to feature an impressive lineup of genre heavyweights, including Queen’s Brian May, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.
Ahead of the shows, Shatner framed the project as another form of exploration, following the same instinct that’s defined much of his career. “I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” he said in a press statement announcing his Riot Fest booking. “Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen. We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises.”
95-year-old William Shatner debuts his new metal project and covers "Crazy Train" at Riot Fest. pic.twitter.com/GWCA4crzR5
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) September 21, 2026
Cleopatra Records founder Brian Perera echoed that sentiment, insisting the performance was never intended as a gimmick. He described the show as a legitimate rock performance built around genuinely accomplished musicians backing one of entertainment’s most recognizable figures.
Shatner’s band for the performances wasn’t assembled lightly. The lineup included guitarist and musical director Marcus Nand, bassist Phil Soussan of Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol fame, guitarist Britt Lightning of Vixen, and drummer Fred Aching, giving the shows genuine credibility within the metal community rather than treating Shatner’s involvement as a novelty act.
William Shatner boldly went where not many 95-year-olds have gone before.
— SPIN (@SPIN) September 21, 2026
He took the stage at Riot Fest with his new band, The *uckers, & covered metal classics like Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”, MOTÖRHEAD’s “Ace Of Spades” & METALLICA’s “Enter Sandman”.
(🎥: yt/sharmony64) pic.twitter.com/ZvrBuzgkns
Even the musicians themselves seemed genuinely excited about the pairing. Soussan admitted ahead of the show that playing alongside Shatner felt like a bucket-list moment, citing his own lifelong fandom of ‘Star Trek’ as part of what made the collaboration feel special.
Riot Fest organizers reportedly spent years trying to convince Shatner to make an appearance, eventually landing him after what they described as persistent letter writing. Given how the performances were received, it seems safe to say the wait was worth it, and Shatner shows no signs of slowing his genre-hopping momentum anytime soon.
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