Entertainment
The Greatest Star Trek Icon Just Created A Vulgar Heavy Metal Band
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
To this day, the greatest Star Trek icon is William Shatner. As Captain Kirk, he taught all of us the importance of boldly going where no man had gone before. In many ways, the actor has led his life by this philosophy: after dominating sci-fi, he killed it in other genres, including cop dramas, legal procedurals, documentaries, and so much more. Heck, he even headlined some infectiously charming commercials for Priceline. After a while, it looked like there might be no new worlds for Shatner to conquer. However, he’s about to boldly go into his own final frontier with the project of a lifetime: leading his own heavy metal band!
I’ll be the first to admit that this news feels like something out of a fever dream. But as William Shatner’s colleague Avery Brooks once said so memorably on Deep Space Nine, “it’s real!” Shatner has assembled a heavy metal band called The *uckers, and they will be making their debut on September 20th at Chicago’s Riot Fest. This will be the group’s first live performance, but in a truly bizarre twist, their appearance took nearly two decades to arrange.
Captain Kirk Gets Heavy
While Riot Fest is mostly about established musical acts, they have a charming tradition of trying to woo various celebrities into attending and performing. For example, after a decade of increasingly wacky invites, the festival eventually convinced Full House star John Stamos into performing alongside the Beach Boys. Similarly, Riot Fest has courted Shatner for the last 17 years. He finally said yes, but instead of performing with a well-known band, the Star Trek legend decided to assemble his own group, the equivalent of a musical away team.
Apparently, both the actor and the festival know how silly it is to have William Shatner playing heavy metal, and they collectively decided to lean into the humor by publishing a hilariously outlandish rider by the actor. The rider includes demands for Chicago to let Shatner co-anchor the local weather, name some local food after him, let him sing “Take Me Out To the Ball Game” at a baseball game, and name a boat after the actor that he can then captain.
Let’s Open Up This Pit!
Additionally, the rider requests a dressing room themed as “Shatner’s Shag Shack,” a bunch of adoptable puppies, an intro video from Gwar, and a bunch of Faygo that is not to be shared with the Insane Clown Posse. Oh, and he wants his artist’s golf cart replaced by a Delorean. Believe it or not, these are just a few of the winking, outrageous, and almost certainly fake demands.
Obviously, most of this is tongue-in-cheek, and as a Star Trek fan, it’s great to see Shatner playing along. But he also expressed some real sincerity in an official statement, writing that, “I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration. Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen.” Continuing, he wrote, We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”
Somehow, Mr. Tambourine Man Returned
While Shatner is new to heavy metal, he’s not new to music, having released several albums in the past. Instead of taking on Riot Festival solo, the Star Trek actor assembled a band, The *uckers, consisting of several well-known musicians. This includes Marcus Nand on guitar, Phil Soussan on bass, Britt Lightning on guitar, and Fred Aching on drums. Together, they will play reimagined songs from Shatner’s musical history as well as songs from their amusingly titled debut album, What the F Is Heavy Metal. As he told People, “That’s the name of the album because I know nothing or didn’t know anything until I found out how little I do know.”
Want to see William Shatner make his inexplicable heavy metal debut? Be sure to save up your latinum and snag tickets to Chicago’s Riot Fest, which runs from September 18-20. On Instagram, the actor claims it will be an event that fans will want to tell their grandchildren about. We’re inclined to agree: one way or another, Shatner beaming into his metal era is something nobody will ever forget!
Entertainment
How to watch Spain vs. Argentina online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered weeks of electric entertainment. We’ve had controversy, moments of ecstasy, and incredibly displays of talent from the best players in the world. And now we’re down to the final, where Spain and Argentina will battle it out for the trophy.
Argentina are defending champions, but have stuttered through the tournament, relying on late goals. Spain also struggled to hit their best form in the group stage, but they’ve built momentum through the knockout rounds, culminating in an impressive victory over favorites France in the semi-final stage.
We’re expecting a fiery battle between two teams laden with stars.
If you want to watch Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Spain vs. Argentina?
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on July 19. This fixture takes place at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
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How to watch Spain vs. Argentina for free
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
BBC iPlayer and ITVX are geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer and ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup final for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
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Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX
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Watch Spain vs. Argentina for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup final without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Spain vs. Argentina before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN’s regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the Summer Tech Sweepstakes promotional period (July 11 to Aug. 11), but you do have a chance of winning an iPhone 17 Pro. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for the World Cup final?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer or ITVX, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including the UK
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on July 19
Wondering what you’re looking at on the Moon’s surface? Wonder no more, with the help of NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, we’ve broken down all the features you might be looking at when you look up tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, July 19, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 29% of its surface visible.
You won’t need any visual aids to be able to spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. However, if you do have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon completes one full cycle around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight different phases along the way, NASA explains. Although the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes as it travels around Earth. This changing angle of illumination is what makes the Moon appear to transform throughout the month, from a thin crescent to a half-lit Moon and eventually a fully illuminated Full Moon, before starting the cycle again.
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
The Odyssey cyclops was inspired by one of historys goriest paintings
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey draws from the literature of antiquity, but there’s an art history reference in the film that’s relatively more recent. And deeply gory.
In a major moment from Homer’s epic poem, Odysseus (Matt Damon) is heading home from the Trojan War with his men when they stop by an island for food and supplies. It’s here they find themselves trapped in the sheep-filled cave of the mighty Polyphemus (Bill Irwin), a towering cyclops who casually changes up his daily diet of homemade artisanal cheese for a bloody feast of weary Ionian soldiers.
The Odyssey‘s production design of Polyphemus is terrifying and weird: a colossal, awkward, human-like form with twisted facial features including a solitary, rotated eye. Snatching up Odysseus’ crewmates like popcorn, the cyclops stands for a moment crunching on a newly headless man, his bleeding body limp in the creature’s hand.
It’s this moment that art history nerds (hi) might connect with a familiarly gory scene, of a wild god feasting upon a torso: Francisco Goya’s early 1820s masterpiece, Saturn Devouring His Son.
Francisco Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son.”
Credit: Fine Art Images / Heritage Images/ Getty Images
Nolan has confirmed the cyclops was inspired by the 19th-century Spanish artist’s famous work, which depicts a violent moment from ancient Greek myth. As detailed in Barry B. Powell’s Classical Myth, Zeus’ dad Cronus (called Saturn by the Romans), was the leader of the Titans, powerful beings who sired the Olympian gods. Cronus’ mum Gaia (Terra) and dad Ouranos (Uranus) had a prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his divine children — Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, or Hades. So, what did Cronus do? He ate them.
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In fact, Cronus threw back his kids whole, which is important later in the story (Zeus, who was born in secret, managed to get his dad to vomit up his siblings and they indeed rose up against the Titans). But in Goya’s painting, Saturn/Cronus has not eaten his brood whole. With those wild eyes open, he’s ripped the head and arms off one of his children and is snacking away on the torso like a baby with a teething rusk. It’s pure madness.
And this is exactly how Nolan has Polyphemus feast on the Greek soldiers in The Odyssey. Like a child. A wild child of gods. Which, incidentally, is what Polyphemus is — the son of sea god Poseidon and oceanid or sea nymph Thoosa.
It’s no wonder Nolan had Goya’s gruesome visual on his mood board. Back to the original ancient text, Homer’s description of the cyclops’ feast (translated by Emily Wilson) is just as grisly, as he writes, “Leaping up high, he reached his hands towards my men, seized two, and knocked them hard against the ground like puppies, and the floor was wet with brains. He ripped them limb by limb to make his meal, then ate them like a lion on the mountains, devouring flesh, entrails, and marrow bones, and leaving nothing.”
Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens also did a horrifically figurative version of Saturn Devouring His Son earlier in the 17th century, a moment of infanticide and child cannibalism which can’t really be unseen.
So, when you’re watching The Odyssey, think of Goya’s bloodthirsty, paranoid Saturn and one of the most gory snackscapades in art history.
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