Poison cancels 40th anniversary tour after Bret Michaels demands more money (report)
A popular rock band has canceled plans for a 40th anniversary tour after the singer reportedly demanded to be paid more than his bandmates.
Poison had long been planning 2026 concerts to mark four decades since the release of the 1986 debut record, “Look What the Cat Dragged In.” But every rose has a thorn.
Plans fell through because lead singer Bret Michaels wanted to be paid six times as much as his bandmates, drummer Rickki Rockett told Page Six.
“We had a great offer, I thought. But we left the table,” Rockett said. “Really what it came to was [guitarist] C.C. [DeVille], [bass player] Bobby [Dall] 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. It’s like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can’t work that way.”
Michaels, Rockett, DeVille and Dall were all part of Poison’s lineup when they exploded on the glam metal-hard rock scene in the ‘80s with MTV and radio hits like “Talk Dirty to Me,” “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” and the No. 1 smash “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” They last toured together in 2022 as part of The Stadium Tour with Motley Crue and Def Leppard.
Rockett told Page Six that he’s not angry with Michaels, saying it would be “like hating your parents.” But could Poison tour without its original vocalist?
“It’s not out of the question. But doing that is like surgery: it’s the last resort,” Rockett explained. “I don’t want to do that. I’m not quarreling with Bret… We just didn’t come to agreement. I don’t like it, and I’ll say that, but it’s not like, ‘Let’s put up our dukes.’ I don’t think there’s a better frontman for Poison.”
But his bandmates are likely just as disappointed as their fans. “Poison tour 2026. Are you ready?” DeVille wrote on social media last year.
Michaels is best known as the lead singer of Poison, but he’s also carved a separate career for himself as a performer and on reality TV shows like “Rock of Love with Bret Michaels,” “Bret Michaels Rock My RV” and “Celebrity Apprentice.” He performs in Central New York often, including a 2023 gig at the New York State Fair and a 2024 appearance at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.
Bret Michaels played to a packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fair in 2023. (Charlie Miller | [email protected])
Michaels has more than a dozen solo concerts booked in 2026, including a Feb. 6 show in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In July, he said he would adjust his future touring schedule due to a health scare caused by diabetes and low blood sugar.
As of Sunday night, he hadn’t commented on Rockett’s claims he wanted 600% more money than his bandmates.
Rockett, meanwhile, said he plans to tour with his own band, Rockett Mafia, and perform Poison’s debut album in its entirety at each show this year. He also told Page Six he hopes Poison can work things out for a “41st anniversary tour” next year.
2027 would also be the 20th anniversary of Poison’s last album, “Poison’d,” which featured covers of songs like “What I Like About You” (The Romantics), “Rock and Roll All Nite” (KISS), “I Need to Know” (Tom Petty), and “Squeeze Box” (The Who). Michaels more recently released solo albums in 2010 and 2013.
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Bret Michaels packs Chevy Court at the NYS Fair
