Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has delivered a stark and detailed update on the band’s proposed 2026 40th-anniversary tour, stating that the window of opportunity has likely closed and alleging that frontman Bret Michaels‘ financial demands have made the tour impossible.
In a new, candid interview with Anthony Bryant of “The Hair Metal Guru,” Rockett confirmed that the rest of the band—himself, guitarist C.C. DeVille, and bassist Bobby Dall—were all on board for the tour, but Michaels held the contract in limbo until it was too late.
“At this moment, it’s no different than it was a few months ago where we got an awesome offer from Live Nation, and C.C., Bobby and I agreed to it… It went in Bret‘s lap, and it hasn’t moved,” Rockett revealed.
He explained that for a major summer tour, the planning must be locked in well in advance, and that time has now run out.
“Now we’re at a point probably where I don’t think we can get that tour to happen now,” he said. “If by October you’re not moving on a tour of that size [for the following summer], it’s really, really hard to shoehorn that thing in and get it to happen. It’s not impossible, but it’s super, super hard.”
Rockett, who had previously stated he was optimistic about the tour, admitted his disappointment. “I thought it was a done deal,” he said. “Seriously, I was just waiting for the contract to come to me and say, ‘Hey, sign on the dotted line. Let’s start putting it together.’ And that day has not come.”
The drummer then addressed recent comments made by Pete Evick (guitarist for Michaels‘ solo band) about revenue splits. Rockett alleged that the true reason the contract stalled was that Michaels demanded a financially unworkable sum.
“The reason that this contract… has not gone through is because Bret wants more than the lion’s share,” Rockett stated. “The amount of money he wants would make it where it’s pretty much impossible to run the production of the band. And he knows that, and I think the reason he’s saying that is because he just simply doesn’t wanna tour with us this year.”
He suggested Michaels must have other plans for his solo band, adding, “I’m not gonna go out there and play for peanuts or wind up upside down, so he can make all this money because he’s out playing Poison songs with another band. I mean, really, if you think about it, does any of that make sense?”
This professional stalemate is compounded by a breakdown in personal communication. Rockett confirmed he and Bret “don’t too much” talk, a stark contrast to his relationship with DeVille. “C.C. I talk to all the time,” he noted, explaining their family history. With Michaels, the interactions are limited.
“We’re cordial,” Rockett said. “There’s been, unfortunately, a couple of tragedies have brought us together a few times.” He admitted he’s tried to get a direct answer from all four members via text, but it was met with “tumbleweeds.”
“I think the reason he doesn’t wanna talk to me is because he knows I’ll probably bring it up and say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’, because we have been friends for so long. If anybody’s gonna say it to him, it’s gonna be me.”
Despite the “frustration,” Rockett was clear that it’s not “hate.” He also defended the band’s integrity, stating that no matter what happens behind the scenes, their commitment to the fans is absolute.
“It doesn’t matter, with our band, no matter how upset or weird something might be, when it comes to that 15 minutes before we’re supposed to go on, we get together, we connect… we go out there and we do the very best we can for the fans, give it every bit of energy that we have, and that’s always been our commitment.”
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