> Shatner. Crazy Train. Live.

William Shatner made his live heavy metal live debut over the weekend by covering four giants of the genre.

Shatner will release his first-ever heavy metal album later this year. He’s enlisted Brian May for the cause, as well as many other as-yet-unnamed metal icons.

The Star Trek actor first kicked off his metal adventure after he was gifted a guitar from Zakk Wylde. He has assembled an all-star cast for the record, and made his live debut in Chicago over the weekend.

William Shatner and the *uckers played a small warm-up show at Park West in the Windy City before an appearance at Riot Fest.
Footage of that warm-up gig shows that, at 95, the Canadian is living his best life, with his trademark spoken-word approach to the vocals earning frequent roars from the crowd.

For his live band, Shatner has turned to Marcus Nand – who has worked with Mike Tramp and Ritchie Blackmore’s wife, Candice Night – as his guitarist and musical director. He’s formed a tandem with Britt Lightning (Vixen, Cactus), with Phil Soussan of Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol fame on bass, and Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove, Fraxures) on drums.