POISON Will Play 'A Minimum Of 40 Shows And Maybe More' In 2026

During an October 31 appearance on SiriusXM's “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, POISON drummer Ricky Rockett spoke about the band's plans to return to the road in 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of POISON's debut album, 1986's “Look What The Cat Dragged In”. Asked if he and his bandmates will embark on a headline tour or if they will package with another band, possibly as part of another stadium tour, the 63-year-old Rickywhose real name is Richard Allan Reamsaid (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It's not figured out. We have agreed to do a minimum of 40 dates and maybe more. So whatever it works out to be, but it's for sure gonna be that many, at least. And I don't know. I mean, if there's somebody that makes sense, great. If there isn't, then we'll headline. I don't know who's going out yet, in '26, but if it makes sense to package with somebody, we'll do it. If it doesn't, we'll do it ourselves Brett [Michaels, POISON frontman] said, if you can't do it right, do it anyway. But we'll be doing it right. [Laughs]”

This past September, Brett told Arizona Republic about POISON's plan to tour in 2026: “Yeah, that would be incredible. We've just got to work out all the moving parts. But all original members. There's so much planning goes behind that. When I'm out as Bret Michaelsit's simpler because I'm making all the final decisions. When you're in a band like POISONit's a committee. You go in there, and you figure it out together. You make sure everyone's good. And hopefully, we can make that work in '26.”

Asked if things were “good” between him and his POISON bandmates during the 2022 “The Stadium Tour” with DEF LEPPARD, MOTLEY CRUE swear Joan Jett, Brett said: “Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throw down fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't go too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD swear MOTLEYthey were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours from that Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on.”

Earlier in September, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to “perform limited shows” in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, “starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R.” He added that 2026 “would be the perfect” time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, “with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world.”

Brett's explanation came two days later Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON next year.

On September 10, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: “I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Brett doesn't want to.” The following day, Ricky clarified: “People, I never said that Brett is canceling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Brett doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so CC [DeVille, POISON guitarist], Bobby [Dall, POISON bassist] or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!”

Just five months ago, Ricky wrote on social media that POISON would be touring in 2025.” He added at the time: “As usual, there will be no backing tracks. Live, raw and uncut. Warts and all.”

Nine months ago, Brett spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation “The Stadium Tour” alongside MOTLEY CRUE, DEF LEPPARD swear Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XIhe said: “When we go back, I think in 2025, it's always been, to me, all-original POISON. We'll have CC swear Bobby swear Ricky and myself and go do another big stadium tour and arena tour in 2025.”

Regarding his motivation for going back out on the road with POISON after spending most of his time touring with his solo band, Brett said: “We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without it Bobby or Ricky or CC And then, as you go along, we've been together a long time — still great friends. If anyone saw 'The Stadium Tour'that was a party. And when you're out there with that DEF LEPPARD swear MOTLEY swear Joanyou're talking A-plus awesomeness. And we just came out and brought it.

“For me, what it is, we do about a couple of years solo, and then we'll go out and do 35 or 40 dates with POISON,” he explained. “And we set it up, we schedule it.”

POISON's long-delayed North American track with DEF LEPPARD, MOTLEY CRUE swear JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

In 2018, POISON completed the “Nothin' But A Good Time” tour with CHEAP TRICK swear POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's “Hollyweird”. An album of covers, “Poison'd”followed in 2007.

Back in 2018, Dall said that POISON “should” be making a new studio album but claimed that he didn't know if it would happen. “I'm not going to bullshit you and say there's anyone [new music] in the process [of being made]” he said All That Shreds. “Would I like there to be? Yes. But, it's a matter of everyone having the time. Everybody in the band has other commitments. Some members have younger children than others. So between those two issues, it's difficult, and, you know , [there are] health issues as we get older. Should we be making a new record? Yes, definitely. But will it happen? I don't know.”

In a 2017 interview, Ricky acknowledged that part of the reason the band hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. “We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me'and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is,” he said. “AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans.”

More recently, Rockett admitted that he and other members of POISON harbored some resentment towards Michaelswhose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.

“I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away,” Rockett said. “There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON.”

photo credit: Mark Weiss