BRET MICHAELS's Music Director PETE EVICK Explains Why Singer Doesn't Want To Tour With POISON In 2025

Pete Evick, who is best known as Bret Michaels's music director and guitar player of the last 21 years, has responded to Rikki Rockett's comment that Michaels is 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, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "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. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that 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!"

On September 10, Evick took to his personal Facebook page to share a lengthy public post about why Michaels has not committed to touring with POISON next year. He wrote: "Hi. This is a post about Rikki Rocket's post, me posting this may cost me my gig!

"This post is going to be long, I decided not to spam Rikki's page and start a bunch of shit.

"I'm not upset with Rikki, that's not what this post is about. The fact is Rikki's post is 100% true. However, what I am going to address are some of the things the fans are saying that are so ridiculous that I just have to state a few facts. I trust that anyone that reads this will direct people they think should see this to….. this post.

"Before I start, if for some reason you don't know, I have been Bret's solo music director / guitarist for 21 years. I also consider him one of the best friends I have ever had. Also I want to make it very clear that I am a huge POISON fan.

"I'm not a hired gun, I don't go looking for the next big gig, I had, and still have a career outside of Bret with my own band EVICK, we've had record deals, we've toured the world, we had radio singles and videos long before I knew Bret.

"I played POISON songs in talent shows, I saw them live every time they came to town starting with the tour when they opened for RATT. When the opportunity came to perform those songs with Bret, I decided that he's going to do this no matter what so it's best that someone do it with him that loves the songs like there my own rather than some ass hole that probably talked shit about the band take his money.

"So….. First and formost, I wonder, instead of making all these crazy assumptions, does anyone maybe wanna know WHY Bret doesn't wanna tour with POISON next year?

"I've stood on stage with him every night and he has never said 2025. He has consistently says 2026, it's there 40th anniversary and he, along with some of the management team are actively planning the 2026 tour right now.

"Second, he DOES have some serious health issues that MUST be addressed and taken care of. In fact I've urged him to cancel the rest of this year to do so!

"The rest of WHY he doesn't want to is his story to tell but let me tell you something's you are all very off base about.

"I see many of you talking about money and saying some insulting and stupid things about both Bret and the other guys.

"POISON's publishing is split 4 ways. They all get an equal cut when it comes to the catalog, my point. Not one of those 4 guys have to do this, the money 'Every Rose' has made alone should have set there kids kids up. If for some reason any member of that band needs to tour, well…. They are the worst money managers in the world.

"Next, the comment about Bret having to split the touring money equally with POISON verse taking a bigger cut with the solo band is not true, and unfortunately while we all have fantasies of brothers in bands splitting it equal, it's just not reality. Bret makes a certain amount of money himself both in POISON and the solo band that is irrelevant to any guarantees or what any member of either band gets. It is not an equal split in POISON or the Solo Band.

"Also many statements about paying the solo band peanuts is dumb, please consider this, I have been in this band 21 years, I live in Northern Virginia, one of the top 3 most expensive places in the country. In the last 20 years I have raised two children and given them everything they ever wanted, brand new cars, mac book pros, every version of the I phone they've ever asked for, beach vacations, trips accross the counrty, on and on and on, I always have a brand new or close to new vehicle of my choice and a guitar collection that grows and grows as well as an ever evolving state of the art audio and video studio. I could not have that if he paid me peanuts. I also have a pension plan, insurance, a certain level of other expenses paid for, and a big year end bonus. Every single year for 21 years. My point, NONE OF THIS is about the money. THAT IS A FACT!

"Some of you have made comments about the solo band playing lesser size or less prestigious venues. Unless you have been under a rock for the last few years you would know that the solo band has been playing the exact same live nation venues that POISON will be playing, Bret created a brand and a concept with Parti Gras, his hopes are to eventually have it be an entity that carries on without him even being there, and he is working tirelessly on this. Again this is an undeniable FACT look at the pictures on his Instagram, packed sheds over and over and over.

"Many people make the comments saying 'I've seen the solo band, it's just not the same'. CORRECT, if Bret wanted 'The Same' he would just have POISON. The whole point of the solo band is to deliver something different. Even though we play the same songs as POISON, they are reimagined and performed different than POISON plays them. Bret loves Southern Rock and Country and our versions are very much more southern with slower tempos, tons of B3 organs, 5 additional background vocals (2 female) and 2 guitars. Not that the POISON songs aren't great as they are (they are perfect),but Bret likes both versions.

"Someone said Bret can't hit the high notes anymore. Are you listening to the same guy? First off he never sang out of his range, he was never Geoff Tate, and he sounds as good today as he ever did.

"Many people said 'Why doesn't the band play with out him'? Bret actually encourages this, he does it, why shouldn't they? And….. He loves Brandon Gibbs [who played with the other three POISON members in the past under the name THE SPECIAL GUESTS], Brandon filled in for me in the solo band in the past!

"There was a comment, if the fans don't support the solo band Bret would have to come back to POISON. Not true, Bret does not have to do anything ever, Bret's children's children will never HAVE to do anything! The amount of money he has is astonishing, He does things soley for the love of doing them.

"There is so much else I'd like to say in defence of my friend but I'll leave it with this, Why doesnt Bret want to tour with POISON next year? Why not ask him instead of making up these crazy ideas.

"Imagine if he read these horrible things. WHY WOULD HE WANT TO COME OUT AND PLAY, With fans like that who needs enemies.

"Bret loves you guys he's given his life for you guys, he sacrifices his own health to bring you guys fun and happiness with POISON and everything else he does."

Rikki's latest comments came less than three months after the 63-year-old musician, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, 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."

Seven months ago, Bret spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation in "The Stadium Tour" alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XI, he said: "When we go back, I think in 2025, it's always been, to me, all-original POISON. We'll have C.C and Bobby and Rikki 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, Bret said: "We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without Bobby or Rikki or C.C. 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 and MÖTLEY and Joan, you'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 trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and 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 and 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 any [new music] in the process [of being made]," he told 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, Rikki 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 toward Michaels, whose 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."