Poison’s much-teased 2026 tour is officially dead, and no, it wasn’t creative differences, scheduling conflicts, or a sudden collective allergy to Aqua Net. According to drummer Rikki Rockett, it came down to a far more timeless rock ’n’ roll issue: Bret Michaels wanted way more money than everyone else. Like, cartoonishly more.
While nothing was ever formally announced, Poison spent the last few years openly flirting with the idea of celebrating their 40th anniversary on the road. In September 2024, Michaels himself called it “the perfect 40th anniversary tour,” promising 40 limited dates of real live hit songs and world-rocking nostalgia — presumably before the calculator came out.
Turns out, when the numbers were discussed, the tour evaporated.
Rockett told Page Six that the band actually had a solid offer on the table. Past tense doing a lot of work there. “We had a great offer,” he said. “But we left the table. It didn’t work.” Translation: negotiations went about as smoothly as a leather-clad reunion dinner with unpaid tabs.
According to Rockett, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and himself were all ready to roll. Michaels? Also ready — just not for an equal split. Instead, he allegedly wanted the “lion’s share,” which in this case means roughly six dollars for Bret for every one dollar for everyone else.
“You just can’t work that way,” Rockett said, which is also how most people feel about math.
While Rockett insists he’s not in it just for the money, he did point out a radical concept: working extremely hard so someone else can make vastly more money is not exactly a dream gig. Shocking, really.
Despite the implosion, Rockett claims there’s no bad blood. He compared resentment toward bandmates to “hating your parents,” which is either deeply heartfelt or an accidental admission that Poison operates like a dysfunctional family Thanksgiving.
As for the idea of touring with a different singer? Possible, but highly undesirable. Rockett likened it to surgery — the kind you only do when everything else has failed. He emphasized that he’s not “quarreling” with Michaels, just, you know, fundamentally unable to agree on a deal where one guy gets six times more money than the rest of the band combined. Minor detail.
“I don’t think there’s a better frontman for Poison,” Rockett added, diplomatically closing the door while carefully not locking it.
Meanwhile, Michaels will be busy playing solo dates in 2026 — presumably at a pay scale he finds spiritually fulfilling — while Rockett hits the road with his side project, Rockett Mafia. Ever the optimist, Rockett joked that Poison could always try again in 2027.
After all, what’s more Poison than canceling your 40th anniversary tour… and then considering a 41st instead?
