August 10, 2015 / 634 reads
Rikki recently spoke with Sleaze Roxx, a few excerpts follow below:
Sleaze Roxx: I'd be completely insane if I didn't ask you some Poison related stuff. You and the rest of the Poison guys did an appearance earlier this year with Brandon fronting the band. How did that get put together?
Rikki Rockett: When I was out touring with Devil City Angels, Bobby Dall came to one of the shows we played in Florida and jammed with us. He got the chance to get to know Brandon a little bit. We got offered some shows that Bret either really wasn't interested in doing or if he had shows of his own scheduled - I can't recall exactly. In any event, Bobby and I looked at each other and said "Why don't we just get Brandon to do them?" Now we'd never call it Poison but we did think it was good to offer the promoters a chance to work with the three of us with Brandon fronting the band. They took it - we did it and the response was amazing. It makes you really think. Is this something that we could do moving forward? I think we could.
Sleaze Roxx: It's got to be frustrating for you, Bobby and C.C. to continue waiting for Bret. It seems like Bret is always playing around the country. I get that he's 'the voice' of the band and the face of the band but Poison is a band.
Rikki Rockett: (Pause) It's very frustrating and that is the main reason that I started Devil City Angels. I like to play and record music. That's become a little bit of a problem recently (laughs)!
Sleaze Roxx: Are there any hard feelings there? Or is it as simple as one guy isn't on the same page as the rest of the band?
Rikki Rockett: I just think? I don't know for sure actually. I haven't spoken with Bret in months and months. I just think that at this point in time, he just prefers to do his own thing. Bret has his own way of doing things and I'm getting the feeling that he'd prefer not to deal with the three of us if he can avoid it. Look, I'm making that up in my head. I can't think of any other reason.
Sleaze Roxx: Do you think there's some damage being done to the Poison name with Bret going out performing 'watered down' versions of Poison?
Rikki Rockett: The number one complaint that I've heard about Bret's show is that he doesn't play 'Bret material' and he plays 'Poison material.' I've heard that over and over from fans. I haven't stepped out of Poison until Devil City Angels - because I believe that a band is more potent when you keep it together. I'm very loyal like that. I've been practicing Jiu Jitsu for 16 years now and I'm driving to Santa Monica which is 42 miles from me each way because I'm that loyal to my team. That's the kind of person I am. Having said that, there isn't a whole lot you can do when everyone don't feel that way. I think we are kind of at that point - if we're going to continue with Poison, we have to look at other ways that we can do this. Brandon isn't a bad choice. It's all I can say.
Sleaze Roxx: Would you be opposed to record new Poison music? Do you think there's a need for new Poison music? A lot of your contemporaries have given up on recording new music.
Rikki Rockett: I think we should absolutely record new stuff! Take the Rolling Stones for example; they haven't had an "Angie" in a while or a "Tumbling Dice" but what they are doing is really viable. I really enjoyed their last record. I think in order to remain valid, you have to do that. Bon Jovi has done that and he's done pretty well with it. I can't give up on writing - I think I have better stories to tell now than I did when I was 22. The whole idea that only the youth have something to say is a pass? idea. Why should it be over because you hit a certain age? It doesn't make sense to me - it never has. (...) I know we'd do a great job - I do. I know that with Brandon, we could do a great job. It's not like I've written Bret off but I don't think that he has a lot of desire to work with us. That's just my feeling at this time.
