Poison's long-anticipated 40th anniversary tour was scrapped because of a band dispute about tour revenue.

Poison, which formed in Pennsylvania in the early 1980s and has kept its original lineup for four decades, had begun early promotion of a 2026 tour to mark the 40th anniversary of its debut album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In."

However, according to drummer Rikki Rockett, the proposed tour collapsed after negotiations stalled. 

"We had a great offer, I thought. But we left the table," he told Page Six. "It didn't work."

Rockett said he, guitarist C.C. DeVille, and bassist Bobby Dall were prepared to move forward and believed lead singer Bret Michaels initially supported the plan. But Rockett said discussions broke down after Michaels sought a substantially larger share of the tour income.

"Really what it came to was C.C., 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," Rockett said. "It's like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can't work that way."

Rockett added that the issue was not purely financial. 

"I don't do this just for the money," he said. "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."

Poison rose to prominence in the mid-1980s with "Look What the Cat Dragged In," followed by "Open Up and Say… Ahh!," which featured the band's only No. 1 single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." 

The group last toured together in 2022 as part of a major stadium run alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rolling Stone reported.

After that tour concluded, Michaels resumed performing with his solo band, whose setlists consist largely of Poison songs. 

In September 2024, Michaels wrote to fans outlining the possibility of a reunion tied to the band's anniversary.

"In 2026, I'm excited to say it will be Poison's 40th anniversary since the release of Look What The Cat Dragged In in 1986…so it would make perfect sense to have the possibility of a reunion in 2026," Michaels wrote.

Rockett said he is not harboring resentment toward Michaels.

"Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life," he said. "It's like hating your parents."

To mark the anniversary, Rockett plans to tour with his side project, Rockett Mafia.

He said he remains hopeful that Poison can resolve its financial differences in time to revisit touring plans, joking that it would be "a perfect Poison folly to do a 41st anniversary tour."

Rockett is scheduled to be inducted into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame next week and plans to release a memoir, "Ghost Notes," this year.

• Pete Townshend: The Who's Split With Zak Starkey 'a Mess'
• Longtime Member of the Flaming Lips Split From Group