William Shatner is ready to make an look on the annual rock music competition Riot Fest, but it surely isn’t simply his upcoming efficiency that’s producing on-line buzz. Forward of the music competition, the “Star Trek” icon’s backstage rider has been revealed, providing followers a glimpse on the outlandish listing of issues he’s anticipating when the day comes.
This yr’s Riot Fest marks the competition debut of Captain Kirk and his band, The *uckers. Organizers of the annual music occasion have been inviting William Shatner to carry out for a couple of decade, and the actor has lastly relented.
Forward of the competition, which will likely be held in Chicago, Riot Fest shared Shatner’s rider. Whereas many artists embrace typical requests, such because the sorts of meals and drinks they like or the dressing room setups they need, the nonagenarian had some uncommon necessities.
Shatner is requesting a ship to be renamed after him “so he can captain a ship once more,” and likewise desires to co-anchor the climate with “Chicago’s most beloved meteorologist.” For his band’s efficiency, he desires loads of firebreathers and an introduction video from heavy metallic band GWAR.
Furthermore, his dressing room should have “an assortment of adoptable puppies,” one bowl of saukerkraut, a four-foot-long Polish sausage, and white socks and underwear, amongst different issues.
Is The Actor’s Rider Actual?
Within the caption, Riot Fest famous that they obtained a “private video message” from Shatner in regards to the rider, and they’re asking for assist from their followers in fulfilling the calls for.
“I can’t inform if that is actual or not, however both means, it’s the perfect occasion promotion I’ve seen in years,” one consumer famous. Riot Fest responded that they couldn’t imagine it both, including, “He’s means cooler than we’re.” Shatner’s rider is presumably a advertising stunt orchestrated by the competition organizers and Shatner himself to create buzz.
In 2025, Riot Fest introduced that John Stamos can be making his competition debut if his list of demands was met. The rider featured a mixture of sensible, odd, and demanding requests, together with a lifetime provide of combs for followers, a foot rub, limitless hummus in a guitar case, and the competition’s founder getting a tattoo of Stamos.
Shatner’s rider is more than likely a mix of actual and made-up requests, however followers are keen to satisfy them both means. One enterprise, Fatpour Faucet Works, has already provided to call a meals merchandise after Shatner if the remark receives 500 likes.
The *uckers options huge names in rock music, together with Marcus Nand on guitar, Britt Lightning on guitar, Phil Soussan on bass, and Fred Aching on drums. The group will likely be performing songs from the actor’s catalog of works, in addition to new songs from his upcoming heavy metallic album.
“I’ve all the time believed that music, like area, is about exploration. Riot Fest is precisely the type of place the place something can occur. We’re bringing quantity, depth, and some surprises. I can’t wait to share this expertise with the followers,” Shatner mentioned.
The Actor Has Launched Extra Than 10 Studio Albums
Shatner’s first studio album, “The Reworked Man,” was launched in 1968, and it featured recitations of songs and texts reasonably than precise singing. Since then, he has launched a number of extra, together with holiday- and space-themed information.
He has collaborated with artists from totally different music genres, a few of whom embrace Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Joe Walsh, Ben Folds, Brad Paisley, Joe Jonas, Sheryl Crow, and Rob Halford.
His newest mission is a heavy metallic album, which he teased in February as a “gathering of forces,” per The Blast. “We’re about to boldly headbang the place nobody has headbanged earlier than. Keep tuned. The metallic voyage begins this yr,” he famous.
William Shatner Is Residing His Finest Life At 95
Shatner stays as energetic as ever, even at 95 years previous. Aside from music, he’s additionally busy with different initiatives in leisure.
He continues to host and govt produce Historical past Channel’s “The UnXplained,” which is at the moment in its eighth season. Furthermore, he’s releasing a brand new memoir late this yr. Shatner has additionally been busy happening excursions and conventions for “Star Trek.”
Shatner and The *uckers will likely be acting at Douglass Park in Chicago, Illinois, on September 20, the third day of Riot Fest.
