Poison‘s long-rumoured 2026 tour plans celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut album Look What The Cat Dragged In have reportedly been scrapped, following an alleged financial dispute within the band.
According to Page Six, the glam metal icons walked away from a proposed tour after frontman Bret Michaels was said to have demanded a significantly larger share of the earnings. Drummer Rikki Rockett claimed the deal became unworkable when Michaels allegedly sought to earn six dollars for every dollar his bandmates would make.
“We had a great offer [for a tour this year], I thought. But we left the table,” Rockett told Page Six. “It didn’t work.”
Rockett explained that guitarist C.C. DeVille and bassist Bobby Dall were fully committed to the idea, believing Michaels was as well… until negotiations stalled.
“Really what it came to was [guitarist] C.C. [DeVille], [bassist] 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,” Rockett said. “It’s like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can’t work that way.”
Despite the disappointment, Rockett was quick to stress that there’s no personal animosity. “Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life,” he said. “It’s like hating your parents.” He also dismissed any serious internal conflict, adding that Michaels remains irreplaceable as the band’s frontman.
While Rockett admitted that touring without Michaels isn’t off the table, he described the idea as a last resort. “I don’t think there’s a better frontman for Poison,” he said.
However, fans won’t be left entirely empty-handed. Rockett has announced plans to honor Look What The Cat Dragged In by performing the album in full with his new band, The Rockett Mafia.
The record — released in 1986 and featuring classics such as “Talk Dirty To Me”, “I Want Action”, and “Cry Tough” — is widely credited with launching Poison‘s career and defining the glam metal explosion of the late ’80s.
“Playing Poison‘s first album with The Rockett Mafia is a full-circle moment for me,” Rockett said. “It’s raw, it’s fun, and it’s exactly how those songs were meant to be heard.”
Concert dates are still being finalized, but the performances will mark the first time Look What The Cat Dragged In has ever been played live in its entirety.
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