There had been proposed plans for Poison to go on a big anniversary tour, but now it isn’t happening. The cause of the stalled tour plans is allegedly due to frontman Bret Michaels making some hefty contract demands. Specifically, he’s reported to have wanted to be paid more money than the rest of the band.
“We had a great offer, I thought. But we left the table,” drummer Rikki Rockett told Page Six. “It didn’t work.” Rockett went on to say that he, guitarist C.C. DeVille, and bassist Bobby Dall “were all in.” They thought Michaels was as well. But then things went sideways.
“He wanted the lion’s share of the money, to the point where it makes it not possible to even do it,” Rockett claimed. “It’s like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can’t work that way.”
Bret Michaels allegedly demanded 600% more money than his Poison bandmates for a 2026 anniversary tour
“I don’t do this just for the money,” Rockett added. “I do have a love for this, absolutely. But at the same time, you don’t want to go out and work really hard just to make somebody else a bunch of money.”
While the situation was discouraging, Rockett said he feels no bad blood. “Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life,” he said. “It’s like hating your parents.”
Rockett then went on to squash any speculation about the band touring with a different vocalist. “It’s not out of the question. But doing that is like surgery. It’s the last resort,” he clarified. “I don’t want to do that.
“I’m not quarreling with Bret,” Rockett continued. “We just didn’t come to agreement. I don’t like it, and I’ll say that, but it’s not like, ‘Let’s put up our dukes.’ I don’t think there’s a better frontman for Poison.”
The tour would have reportedly been to celebrate the anniversary of Poison’s 1986 debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In
Technically, the anniversary tour was never officially announced. Though Michaels himself said it would be a good idea. “It would make perfect sense to have the possibility of a reunion in 2026,” Michaels said in September 2024, as noted by Ultimate Classic Rock. He added that it would be ‘the perfect 40th anniversary tour, with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs and rock the world.”
While fans won’t get to see Poison this year, Michaels does have some solo concert dates scheduled for 2026. As for Rockett, he’ll be touring with his side project band, Rockett Mafia. He joked to Page Six that maybe the band could try a reunion tour in 2027, joking that it would be “a perfect Poison folly to do a 41st anniversary tour.”
At this time, Michaels does not appear to have commented on the story.
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