Metal
William Shatner jokingly requests 'Shag Shack' and DeLorean in hilarious Riot Fest rider for his heavy metal band
William Shatner has unveiled a chaotic, tongue‑in‑cheek list of demands for his Riot Fest debut with heavy metal band The *uckers - including a “Shag Shack”, fire‑breathers and a DeLorean.
Star Trek legend William Shatner is leaning fully into his new heavy metal persona - and he’s doing it with the kind of festival rider only he could dream up.
The 95‑year‑old actor and musician is set to perform with his band The *uckers at Riot Fest in Chicago on September, and ahead of the show he’s shared a wildly comedic list of “requests” that instantly sent fans into hysterics.
Shatner’s mock rider has truly stolen the spotlight. Among his “demands”: a boat renamed in his honour, the chance to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game at a Chicago baseball game, and a guest spot co‑anchoring the local weather. For the festival itself, he wants an intro video created by GWAR, fire breathers and a DeLorean to transport him to the stage.
Backstage, things escalate. His dressing room must be transformed into “Shatner’s Shag Shack”, stocked with four feet of Polish sausage, eight pallets of Faygo, adoptable puppies, and a Montreal Canadiens hockey sweater signed by John Stamos.
Posting the faux rider on Instagram, Shatner wrote: “So now that my appearance in Chicago at @riot_fest is known I want to start acting like the Heavy Metal Rock God that I am. So… I have a few demand…err…requests for Chicago. Should this go to @chicagosmayor or maybe @govpritzker? Nothing unreasonable here as far as I can see. Hopefully you can find @johnstamos – I have heard he's hard to pin down. You have a couple months here to get this together. I know Chicagoans can make me happy. Come see me at RiotFest.org and worship your new Heavy Metal Rock God! Live long and Rock on!”
With a lineup boasting Morrissey, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, Twenty One Pilots and Patti Smith, Shatner’s metal debut is shaping up to be one of Riot Fest’s most talked‑about moments.
Check out the full rider below...
