BRET MICHAELS: I'm Not Around MTLEY CRE Enough To Know Or Really Care How They Feel

Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently conducted an interview with POISON singer Bret Michaels. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: How did this summer tour [with MTLEY CRE and NEW YORK DOLLS] come about?

Bret: Very simple. I was going out solo this year. I have a brand new tour and CD, Bret Michaels, "Get Your Rock On". I was going out solo, and we were going to do a couple dates with POISON for our 25th anniversary. Well, I mentioned at a couple venues that I thought it would be great if MTLEY and POISON toured together for our 25th and 30th anniversaries. And I took a lot of flack [laughs] from certain members of MTLEY CRE who vowed they were never going to do it. Well, here we are doing it. I look at everything I do as a music fan. I think MTLEY and POISON touring together is going to be an amazing summer tour. The bottom line is, all that matters is that we have a good time and the fans get completely rocked.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: So what has the relationship been like with the bands over the years?

Bret: Here's the funniest thing. Vince [Neil, MTLEY CRE singer] has toured with POISON many times solo. We get along great. As far as MTLEY and POISON, there hasn't been much of a connection. This is the first time we've ever done a tour together. I know over the years that MTLEY has a certain way they want to brand themselves or want themselves to be seen. With POISON, we just want to go out to play for fans and the people who show up. If there's going to be a friendly competition as far as wanting to go out and put on a great show, absolutely. As far as saying anything bad about them, I just don't. As far as getting along, I'm not around them enough to know or really care how they feel. Even if they like POISON or don't like me, I'm playing to fans who show up. It doesn't have to be a lovefest between our two bands. I don't want the fans to be separated. MTLEY fans are POISON fans are rock fans. Music is a universal language. Look, I've toured with DEF LEPPARD, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, ALICE IN CHAINS, you name it, KISS, and we've always had a great time. I think the bottom line, MTLEY probably made a couple bold statements in the press that were probably unnecessary, and I think the bottom line is, it all came around to us going out and playing to a lot of fans, and I think it will be the tour of the summer. I know I'm going out there to have a good time after all I've been through.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: POISON had to wait on the sidelines while you did your solo thing and got through all this stuff. What's it been like for them?

Bret: Well, let me state this very boldly. I never look at POISON ever on the sidelines. We all grew up together. They all know that in the band, I'm extremely driven to want to do stuff. And I've never looked at POISON as a sideline, it's just that as we got to a certain point in our career, I needed to fulfill much more of what I got into it for. I'm very passionate about creating and touring and doing stuff. If you think about it, we were just out with DEF LEPPARD two years ago. Last year, they were off. Next year, I'll be out solo again and we'll come back in '13 and go all the way to our 30th anniversary.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Will there be any more POISON recordings in the future?

Bret: I sure hope so, and if not, at least one song. In the meantime, we've got a new POISON record coming out, a double collection. I want to make sure the fans understand. I got into music for one simple reason: because I want to create music. The first thing I built when I bought my ranch was a studio. I want them to know that I still play music for simply the love of music. And I think that you find ways to go out there and tour and take it to the people. And I hope POISON will one day make a new record, but if not, I'm just going to continue writing and recording my own music, and going out and playing.

Read the entire interview at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.