Poison’s 2026 tour called off because Bret Michaels “wanted the lion’s share of the money”

Poison‘s 40th anniversary tour is no longer happening this year due to a disagreement over how to split the money.

The US rock band, who haven’t performed together since 2022, previously confirmed plans to return to the stage this year with the full line-up: Bret Michaels (frontman), Bobby Dall (bass), C.C. DeVille (guitar) and Rikki Rockett (drums).

However, the latter member has said in a new interview with Page Six that the run of celebratory live shows has now been scrapped.

“We had a great offer, I thought,” Rockett told the publication. “But we left the table. It didn’t work.

“Really, what it came to was C.C. and Bobby, 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.”

The musician went on to say that the proposed deal was “like $6 to every one of our dollars”, adding: “You just can’t work that way.”

Rockett continued: “I don’t do this just for the money. I do have a love for this, absolutely. But at the same time, you don’t want to go out and work really hard just to make somebody else a bunch of money.”

The drummer is instead planning to tour with his side-project band, Rockett Mafia, with whom he’ll perform Poison’s 1986 debut album ‘Look What the Cat Dragged In’ in full.

Rockett explained that he hoped Poison could come to an agreement by next year, joking that it would be “a perfect Poison folly to do a 41st anniversary tour”.

He said there was no bad blood between the bandmembers. “Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life,” he added. “It’s like hating your parents.”