Poison 40th Anniversary Tour Shelved: Bret Michaels Demands 6x Pay Share

Friendship runs deep, but money talks louder. The rock world's hopes for a Poison reunion have hit a wall. Lead singer Bret Michaels reportedly demanded 600% more than his bandmates, effectively killing plans for the band's 40th anniversary tour.

Inside the Bret Michaels Poison 40th Anniversary Tour Dispute

According to drummer Rikki Rockett, the band had a solid offer on the table to celebrate their four-decade legacy. However, negotiations stalled when Michaels sought the "lion's share" of the revenue. "It's like $6 to every one of our dollars," Rockett told Page Six. "You just can’t work that way."

While Rockett clarifies that relations between the four members remain cordial, the frustration is palpable. The tour, which fans have anticipated since Michaels teased the idea in 2024, would have marked 40 years since their hit debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In.

The 6-to-1 Pay Gap Breakdown

The dispute highlights a growing trend in the music industry where frontmen demand a disproportionate cut of live performance earnings. For Poison, a band that found success in 1983 and dominated the charts with "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," this internal friction marks a somber note in their history. Rockett mentioned that by October 2025, it became clear the logistics for a summer 2026 tour were impossible to secure without a deal.