In a new interview with Chuck Shute, Pete Evick explained whether Rikki Rockett’s attack on Bret Michaels could have been a publicity stunt.
“If you ask Bret, there was never anything to squash. They’re going out in 2026 and that’s it,” the guitarist said. “It was all… There was never anything to squash. Ironically, Rikki magically announced his brand-new band a couple days after that. So he had already been planning that. I don’t know. I look back now and think maybe I fell into the trap myself.”
In the later part of the conversation, Evick talked about Michaels’ health problems, “The issue here is the health and that there were people including Rikki that were basically saying he’s not having health problems and he f*cking is and that’s all.”
Last month, Rockett posted on his official Facebook page about the many questions he gets about touring with the band. He wrote, “I keep getting asked multiple times a day, ‘Why isn’t Poison touring in 2025 now?’ Super simple answer, Bret doesn’t want to.”
His words came less than three months after Michaels announced on social media that Poison would tour in 2025. He also said the shows would be live and without any backing tracks.
The drummer later clarified his statement in another Facebook post, saying, “People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn’t get booked. I said the reason Poison isn’t touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn’t want to.”
He continued, “Doesn’t matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I’m simply telling you why so that CC, Bobby 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!”
After Rockett’s comments, Evick defended him from fans who criticized him. He stated that Rikki’s message was true and questioned why fans were making assumptions about Michaels not wanting to tour in 2025. Evick mentioned that Bret has been planning a tour for 2026, and that he has health issues that need attention.
Later, Michaels also shared a statement and wrote, “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. In my opinion, it would be the perfect 40th Anniversary Tour, with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world…”
He added, “For example, in 2018, Poison headlined and rocked, and in 2022 (four years later) Poison joined Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Joan Jett and Classless Act and rocked the Stadium Tour and now, four years after that, Poison hopefully will continue to rock the world in a 2026 headlining tour.”
After Bret’s statements, Rockett announced that he formed a new band. The band includes Brandon Gibbs, Mick Sweda, and Bryan Kimes.