At a Glance
- Poison’s 40th-anniversary tour is dead after Bret Michaels demanded six times more money than his bandmates
- Drummer Rikki Rockett says the payout split would have left the rest of the band earning “$6 to every one of our dollars”
- Michaels still plans to tour solo under the Poison name with other musicians
- The four original members last shared a stage in 2022
- Why it matters: Fans hoping to see the classic glam-metal lineup will have to settle for a fragmented version or nothing at all
The glitter-soaked dream of a full-scale Poison reunion has crashed head-first into a very familiar rock ‘n’ roll roadblock: money. Drummer Rikki Rockett confirms that plans for a 40th-anniversary trek have collapsed because frontman Bret Michaels insisted on pocketing the bulk of the tour revenue.
The Offer That Fell Apart
Rockett told Page Six the band received what he called “a great offer” for a 2026 victory lap marking four decades since their 1986 debut, Look What the Cat Dragged In. Guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall and Rockett himself quickly agreed to terms, but talks stalled when Michaels’ financial demands surfaced.
> “Really what it came to was C.C., Bobby and I were all in, and I thought Bret was, but he wanted the lion’s share of the money, to the point where it makes it not possible to even do it,” Rockett said. “It’s like, $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can’t work that way.”
A representative for Michaels did not respond to News Of Los Angeles‘s request for comment.
Michaels’ Solo Path Forward
While a classic-lineup tour is off the table, Michaels isn’t staying home. His Live & Amplified solo itinerary lists more than a dozen dates from February through June, and he continues to bill those shows as Poison performances even though only he remains from the original roster.
Rockett claims the singer’s proposed split would have forced the remaining members to “play for peanuts” or even lose money once production costs were factored in. On The Hair Metal Guru podcast last November, the drummer had already warned that Michaels wanted “more than the lion’s share,” adding:
> “The amount of money he wants would make it where it’s pretty much impossible to run the production of the band. I’m not going to go out there and play for peanuts … so he can make all this money because he’s out playing Poison songs with another band.”
A 41st-Anniversary Jab
Despite the fallout, Rockett insists he bears no personal grudge, likening animosity toward bandmates to “hating your parents.” He still holds out a sliver of hope-delivered with a sarcastic twist:
> “There’s a chance it could all come together at a later date. It would be a perfect Poison folly to do a 41st-anniversary tour.”
For now, fans will have to content themselves with Michaels’ solo outings and the memories of the quartet’s last joint appearance during 2022’s stadium run alongside Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.
Key Takeaways
- Money split derailed Poison’s 40th-anniversary plans
- Michaels demanded six times what bandmates would earn
- Rockett, DeVille and Dall agreed to terms; Michaels balked
- Singer continues touring solo under the Poison banner
- No classic-lineup shows are scheduled
