Stadium Tour Proved Rock Is Not Dead, Says Rikki Rockett
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett argued that the success of the Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Def Leppard and Joan Jett proved rock music wasn’t dead.
The road trip ended on Sept. 9, with plans for similar performances to take place in other parts of the world next year. The North American run is reported to have made around $5 million every night.
“Such a crazy summer!” Rockett wrote in a social media post, accompanied by a picture of Poison taking a bow together with a full stadium behind them. “I think we proved that rock ’n’ roll is not dead. Neither is our brand of rock ’n’ roll!”
He admitted his band still received criticism for a perceived lack of musical ability but said the situation was actually “part of our success.” "Back in the day, jazz peeps criticized rock ’n’ roll for having players who weren’t proficient, all the while having zero idea what makes good rock ’n’ roll," he noted. "Poison isn’t a jazz-rock fusion/progressive metal band. Hell, most of the time we aren’t even really metal – we are rock ’n’ roll."
His message to those who preferred more complex music was to “enjoy stuffing 32nd notes into a 150bpm song or whatever floats your boat. Rock ’n’ roll moves the soul, and if you all hate us for it, then that is cool! We moved souls this summer. I know it. I saw it in the fans' eyes. Not the critics. I could not give two shits about you critics. Baste in your sour cream sauce of hate.”
Referring to one of his band’s signature tracks, Rockett signed off, “Nuthin’ but a good time? Damn right! I love you all! Till next time, remember: Seeing is believing, but feeling is the truth!”