Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has provided a highly anticipated update regarding the legendary glam metal band’s return to the live stage, confirming that an official touring offer has been placed on the table for 2027.
During a recent appearance with host Josh Klinger on Chicago’s “Rock 95.5” radio station, the drummer expressed strong optimism that the group will finally hit the road to commemorate the milestone anniversary of their 1986 debut album, Look What The Cat Dragged In. Explaining why the highly requested trek failed to materialize in 2026 for the actual 40th anniversary, Rikki Rockett provided the full update on the behind-the-scenes negotiations.
“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,” he explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
The drummer acknowledged that celebrating a 41st anniversary rather than a traditional round number perfectly aligns with the band’s unpredictable and often chaotic history.
“Maybe everything happens for a reason,” he continued. “I mean, it’s just so funny that if Poison would do a 41st anniversary. I mean, we almost got killed by a disco ball. We almost got killed by pressing hands on a tour bus and falling out of the bus. I mean, we can be a comedy of errors at times, but usually those errors work out some way, somehow and turn into something cool. So I’m hoping this does.”
While Poison fans await a formal touring announcement from the core camp, Rikki Rockett is ensuring that the 40th anniversary of their debut album does not go uncelebrated this year. The drummer has assembled a new project, The Rockett Mafia, which will perform Look What The Cat Dragged In in its absolute entirety on stage.
The seminal 1986 record launched the band to international superstardom, boasting classic genre anthems such as “Talk Dirty To Me,” “I Want Action,” and “Cry Tough.” To bring the album to life, The Rockett Mafia features a veteran hard rock lineup, enlisting vocalist and guitarist Brandon Gibbs of Devil City Angels, guitarist Stacey Blades 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,” Poison frontman Bret Michaels once again 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.”
