Poison frontman Bret Michaels has explicitly clarified that the band will not perform under the Poison name unless every single member of the classic original lineup participates. The singer’s remarks arrive just one day after drummer Rikki Rockett shared that the band received offer for a potential 2027 tour to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the group’s multi-platinum 1986 debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In.
“I don’t wanna throw anybody under the bus — I’m not gonna do that — but I will say this: literally tomorrow we are having a conversation with management. We have been made an offer for 2027, and we’re going to talk as a band and with management. And I will know more tomorrow. It’s a shame we’re not doing the interview tomorrow. So hopefully everything will work out and we’ll be able to get on track and do something,” Rikki explained during a recent appearance with host Josh Klinger on Chicago’s “Rock 95.5” radio station.
On Thursday, May 21, Bret Michaels shared a comprehensive message on his social media accounts to address the sudden influx of tour proposals. Citing his immediate travel schedule for solo performances in Atlantic City and Charles Town, West Virginia, alongside his family plans for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the vocalist requested that all formal organizational discussions be paused out of respect for the holiday.
“Recently, it has come to my attention that there have been some offers for Poison in 2027 and because I would be traveling to awesome Atlantic City tomorrow and Charles Town WV Saturday and both performing & with family over Memorial Day weekend, and out of respect to the other members in Poison to honor the weekend, I would kindly ask that all offers be discussed the week following Memorial Day, as it is a weekend for remembrance and, as I’m the son of a veteran and almost every member of my family have served or is currently serving, as well as the fact I’ll be traveling, that we all look to moving discussions of Poison 2027 to the following week which also gives time to see if I can move some of The BMB [Bret Michaels Band] shows and special events that are already being contracted for 2027,” he wrote on Facebook.
Bret Michaels went on to emphasize that any true celebration of the band’s legacy depends entirely on the collective presence of himself, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. He underscored that the band members maintain an unbreakable pact on this condition, noting that neither the musicians nor the promoters would want a compromised version of the brand.
“As I’ve always said, I’m forever grateful and excited to see my other Poison band members for a reunion and put on a great show for the fans. But as everyone really knows, there is a lot of stuff to agree on and a lot of moving parts and schedules to discuss. I’m sure each member will have the respect to discuss this after Memorial Day weekend as we all know there is no chance to do a real, all-original members reunion if not all the original members are there, nor would we want to, nor would the promoters want it as Poison is nothing more than a name without the original C.C. [DeVille], Bobby [Dall], Rikki and myself giving 100% mind, body and soul. All members of Poison agreed that we will not perform as the name Poison without all four original members. As the fans know, Poison runs off of excitement, positive energy and real live music.”
Despite the massive logistical scheduling hurdles involved in aligning the members’ individual calendars, the singer concluded his update on a hopeful note:
“I have a great feeling we’re all going to attempt to make all of this work for 2027.”
While full-scale Poison activities are paused for the moment, Rikki Rockett is actively keeping the spirit of their foundational era alive this year. The drummer recently confirmed plans to pay live tribute to Look What the Cat Dragged In by performing the landmark LP from start to finish with his new band, The Rockett Mafia.
Marking the exact 40th anniversary of the album’s release this year, the specialized setlists will showcase definitive glam metal anthems such as “Talk Dirty To Me“, “I Want Action“, “Cry Tough“, and the record’s celebrated title track. Joining Rikki Rockett on stage for the anniversary run are vocalist and guitarist Brandon Gibbs of Devil City Angels, guitarist Stacey Blades formerly of L.A. Guns, and bassist Tyson Leslie.
Discussing the decision to play the record front-to-back, Rockett explained that he specifically wanted to offer a live experience that fans wouldn’t normally get from the main band or from frontman Bret Michaels‘ solo endeavors.
“Poison would probably never have done the whole record in its entirety. And we’re doing it from first note to last note — last scream, I said. So we’re doing the whole record, and then some other things we’re gonna throw in, too. A couple of B-sides that Poison never does, and couple of Devil City Angels songs, because Brandon and I were in Devil City Angels. So it’ll be a really, really cool night. And I just thought, again, it’s something Poison wouldn’t do. I don’t wanna do something Bret [Michaels] would do [with his solo band]. I don’t wanna do something Poison would do at this point in time. I mean, back in the day, of course, we did the whole record, because those were the songs that we had,” he concluded.
The Rockett Mafia confirmed dates:
- 05/21 – McHenry, IL – The Vixen
- 05/22 – Cadillac, MI – The Venue
- 06/19 – Dallas, TX – Trees
- 06/20 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
- 06/21 – San Antonio, TX – Empire Theater
- 08/14 – Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go
- 08/15 – Tracy, CA – Grand Theater
- 08/28 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs
- 08/29 – Detroit, MI – Token Lounge
- 09/27 – Umatilla, OR – Rock The Locks Festival
During a recent interview with “Q104.3,” Bret Michaels addressed the possibility of a 2027 tour marking the 41st anniversary of the band’s 1986 debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In.
“It was, I gotta tell you, 40 awesome years. And honest to God, I hope to God that… I love the Bret Michaels [solo] band. I’m grateful for C.C. [DeVille, Poison guitarist] and Rikki [Rockett, Poison drummer] and Bobby [Dall, Poison bassist] and Poison. And maybe in the next year or two, we put together the most incredible Poison tour as well. But right now, [I am on the road with my solo band as part of the] ‘Live & Amplified‘ [tour], and we’re killing it. And we’re just having fun. I’m enjoying every bit of music and just being out there and loving a great time on the road,” he said at the time.
During an April 6 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk“, the frontman shared his hopes for getting the veteran lineup back on the road together.
“We’re hoping for ’27, ’cause I know it’s a big question. I think — I really strongly think ’27, without going into details yet, is going to be a good reunion year for Poison. I think it’s gonna be awesome.” Bret stated at the time.
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett previously claimed that a planned 2026 40th-anniversary tour fell apart due to severe financial disagreements. The drummer alleged that the frontman demanded a massive pay disparity, asking to earn six dollars for every one dollar his bandmates made from the live shows.
Directly addressing the rumors and the apparent tension with his longtime rhythm section partner, the singer firmly pushed back against the negativity.
“Most people like the drama. I’m an anti-drama guy. I love the guys. I think ’27 is gonna be great,” he explained. “Rikki is my brother. And you’re allowed to agree and you’re allowed to disagree, but we’re gonna go out there and make it an incredible [tour], honestly.”
He continued, detailing his plan to map out the upcoming live dates while continuing to balance the reunion alongside his active solo career.
“If ’27 all works out here … we’ll jump on the phone, get the whole band on there, or at least me and Rikki just talking it up and be able to lay out some dates and bring a great reunion tour. But I’m grateful for Poison and I love my brothers and and sisters in the BMB [Bret Michaels Band, Bret‘s solo group], and I don’t see any reason we can’t do both and make it great.”
The frontman has consistently denied the financial allegations surrounding the canceled 2026 dates. Earlier this year, during a January interview on 99.1 WPLR’s “Chaz & AJ In The Morning“, he explicitly denied that his salary demands derailed the initial tour plans. At the time, he playfully suggested that pushing the celebration to 2027 would simply allow the group to brand the anniversary run as the “40 Plus One” tour.
“We’re just gonna call it hopefully ‘40 Plus One‘,” Michaels said at the time. “But I can tell you this — as this thing got further down the road… Remember, when you’re booking stuff, we’re already booking stuff solo into ’27. So this just got backed up. And I’m hoping that, as a founding member, obviously that would be a great day, and I’m positive we can make that happen in ’27.”
“Well, I’m gonna answer that honestly. It never happened,” Michaels continued. “We never got to that part of negotiations. What happens — when you start this, they ask me to put together solo numbers and an average, and that’s the first part we turn in. We ask what the stage is gonna look like, where do we start the tour? I even got into where we’re starting the dates, and then all of a sudden, ’26, the shows in ’26 wanted solo answers, so we moved this to ’27 back last summer. The reason it’s come up for the third time — no one, even the other members haven’t commented. They’re, like, ‘I thought this is going in ’27 now.’”
Michaels expressed disappointment that the internal band business was being aired in the press, urging his bandmates to pick up the phone instead of giving interviews about sensitive negotiations.
“We’re all friends. And if you wanna discuss something, we have each other’s phone number for the last 45 years. Just call me. No offense. I love Rikki. I love Bobby [Dall, Poison bassist]. I love C.C. [DeVille, Poison guitarist]. Don’t negotiate on the air [during an interview]. Just call me on the phone, and we’ll work out what[ever needs to be worked out]. We’ve worked it out for 40 other years. Let’s work out what we need to work out.”
He further clarified the complexity of booking a heritage act with four original members versus his solo shows, reiterating that the alleged pay disparity was never “on the table.”
“Again, I wanna go into this. That never came up on the table. What comes up on the table is, what’s people making solo? What are we doing? You throw it out there. And it’s not their fault either. It never finished, the negotiations, on everything. Where’s the tour start? Who’s opening for us? What lights, what sound, what’s the stage look like?”
Michaels continued: “It’s hard to explain to everybody how much goes into making a show great. And with me, when I’m solo. I could make this decision on the bum runners. If I’m out with Poison, we’re four founding members. And rightfully so for that situation. So I wanna make sure the fans hear the truth. It should be a four-way discussion. That’s what Poison‘s meant to be.”
Despite the public friction, Michaels ended on a positive note regarding his relationship with the drummer.
“I love Rikki. He’s my brother. We’ve been through a lot together. I love Bobby, I love C.C., and I appreciate C.C. and Bobby staying out in the middle. They didn’t make any comments. I truly believe, ’cause we already knew last summer it was moving to ’27.”
