Poison Cancels 2026 Tour Over Bret Michaels Pay Dispute

Poison, the iconic glam rock band, has canceled plans for a 2026 tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, following a financial dispute with frontman Bret Michaels.

Drummer Rikki Rockett revealed that negotiations broke down after Michaels demanded six times the compensation of his bandmates. "We had a great offer, I thought. But we left the table. It didn't work," Rockett told the New York Post's Page Six. He explained that guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and himself were fully committed to the tour, but Michaels sought what Rockett described as "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."

The band had teased the anniversary outing last summer, with DeVille posting on social media: "Poison tour 2026. Are you ready?" Although no official announcement was made, members expressed enthusiasm for limited dates to perform their classic hits. Michaels himself had commented in September 2024 that a reunion tour would be "the perfect 40th anniversary tour, with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live...