Drummer Rikki Rockett says Poison’s 40th anniversary tour plans have been scrapped after Bret Michaels demanded “the lion’s share” of profits.Poison has dropped plans for a 2026 tour after frontman Bret Michaels allegedly demanded 600% more money than his bandmates.

Though a tour was never officially announced, the hair metal greats made no secret of their plan to celebrate their 40th anniversary. “It would make perfect sense to have the possibility of a reunion in 2026,” Michaels noted in September 2024, adding that 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.”

Now, the tour is off, and the reason seems to be money.

Bret Michaels Demanded the ‘Lion’s Share’ of Poison’s Profits

“We had a great offer, I thought. But we left the table,” drummer Rikki Rockett revealed to Page Six “It didn’t work.”

“Really what it came to was [guitarist] C.C. [DeVille], [bassist] Bobby [Dall] and I were all in, and I thought Bret was, but he wanted the lion’s share of the money, to the point where it makes it not possible to even do it,” Rockett noted. “It’s like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can’t work that way.”

“I don’t do this just for the money,” the drummer continued. “I do have a love for this, absolutely. But at the same time, you don’t want to go out and work really hard just to make somebody else a bunch of money.”

Despite his disappointment, Rockett said he didn’t harbor any resentment over the situation. “Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life,” he said, “It’s like hating your parents.”

The drummer was dismissive when asked if the other members of Poison could tour with a different singer.

“It’s not out of the question. But doing that is like surgery: it’s the last resort,” he explained. “I don’t want to do that. I’m not quarreling with Bret… We just didn’t come to agreement. I don’t like it, and I’ll say that, but it’s not like, ‘Let’s put up our dukes.’ I don’t think there’s a better frontman for Poison.”

Michaels has a handful of solo dates scheduled for 2026. Meanwhile, Rockett will tour throughout the year with his side project, Rockett Mafia. The drummer also joked that Poison could give things another go in 2027, describing it as “a perfect Poison folly to do a 41st anniversary tour.”

The Only 23 Classic Rock Bands Whose Most Famous Lineups Can Still Reunite

Only two bands – U2 and Poison – are currently using their most famous lineups. These 23 acts could join them, but don’t hold your breath.

Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening

U2: Together Since 1976

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U2: Together Since 1976

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are by far the longest-lasting lineup in classic rock. The group briefly began as a six-piece in 1976, with guitarist Ivan McCormick dropping out within weeks and Dik Evans doing the same in early 1978.

It’s been the same foursome ever since then, although an injured Mullen was temporarily replaced for the band’s Sphere residency by Bram van den Berg.

Poison: Together Since 1996

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Poison: Together Since 1996

If you grew up in the ’80s it may seem strange to think of Poison as forty-year veterans with the second longest-lasting lineup in classic rock, but those are the facts. Apart from a five-year span where lead guitarist C.C. DeVille was replaced by Richie Kotzen and then Blues Saraceno, the group’s lineup of Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett, Bobby Dall and DeVille has remained intact since 1985.

Granted, for the last couple of decades they haven’t been all that active. The group hasn’t released an album of original material since 2002’s Hollyweird, and Michaels has spent much more of the past decade touring solo instead of with Poison. There’s been discussing of a 2026 tour, and Rockett told Backstage Pass Radio he hopes it happens: “We’re not getting younger.”

Guns N Roses (1985-1990 Lineup)

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Guns N’ Roses (1985-1990 Lineup)

Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler (out since 1990) and Izzy Stradlin (out since 1991)

After a series of breakups, from 1997 to 2016 Axl Rose was the only remaining member of Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup. He cycled through about a dozen replacement band members before welcoming Slash and McKagan back into the band in 2016 for a highly successful and ongoing series of tours.

Adler was invited for brief guest appearances at a couple of shows on the band’s first semi-reunion tour, with neither side publicly explaining why he wasn’t considered for a full-time return. Meanwhile, on social media Stradlin stated that money was the reason he wasn’t involved: “They didn’t want to split the loot equally. Simple as that. Moving right along…”

Aerosmith (1970-1979, 1984-2020 Lineup)

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Aerosmith (1970-1979, 1984-2020 Lineup)

Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton (previous four stopped touring in 2023), Joey Kramer (not touring since 2020)

After being forced to postpone, then cancel their fall 2023 farewell tour due a vocal cord injury suffered by Steven Tyler after just three shows, Aerosmith announced the end of their touring career. But the singer’s amazing performance at Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning show got fans buzzing about the possibility of a similar farewell show for Aerosmith.

Drummer Joey Kramer’s status is still in question, as he was sitting out the farewell tour in order to “focus on his family.” He and his bandmates scuffled publicly in 2020 when he was kept off the road for allegedly not performing up to the group’s standards after suffering an injury.

In June 2025 guitarist Joe Perry told Eddie Trunk he was confident the band would take the stage together again. “We’re all alive and well, so we’ll just have to see. I know there’s gotta be at least one more Aerosmith gig.”

Motley Crue (1981-1992, 2004-2022 Lineup)

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Motley Crue (1981-1992, 2004-2022 Lineup)

Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars (out or not touring, depending on who you listen to, since 2022)

Mick Mars and Motley Crue parted ways in October 2022, in a move initially described as mutual but quickly revealed to be quite contentious. Both sides accused the other of not being able to do their jobs on stage anymore, and Mars referred to his former bandmates as “heroin addicts” and “felons.”

The guitarist retired from touring due to his battle with ankylosing spondylitis, and was replaced by former Rob Zombie star John 5. It’s unclear if he could or would want to perform live again, but despite all the nasty words that have been sent back and forth he says he’d be happy to write new music with Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee.

Journey (1980-1985 Lineup)

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Journey (1980-1985 Lineup)

Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry (out since 1998), Ross Valory (out since 2020), Steve Smith (out since 2020)

Never mind any reunion talk, Journey’s main concern is probably holding their current lineup together. Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain are the only two members of Journey remaining from the golden ’80s days of Escape and Frontiers, and they’ve been squabbling and suing each other for much of the past few years, over everything from credit card charges to creative control of the band.

The rhythm section of Ross Valory and Steve Smith were fired in early 2020 after being accused of attempting to take control of the company they (wrongly) thought controlled the band’s name. If there’s been any olive branches exchanged between the two sides since that time it has not been made public.

Of course the big puzzle piece is singer Steve Perry, who has shown absolutely no interest in returning to the group he left nearly 30 years ago, instead maintaining a very sporadic and tour-free solo career. He also reportedly sided with Smith and Valory in their 2020 name control attempt, which can’t help things.

Iron Maiden (1982-1990, 1999-2024 Lineups)

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Iron Maiden (1982-1990, 1999-2024 Lineups)

Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers (1990-present), Nicko McBrain (retired from touring, 2024)

You can easily make the case that Iron Maiden shouldn’t be on this list. The group’s most famous and popular lineup is technically still together, as Nicko McBrain has only retired from touring. A year after suffering a stroke in January 2023 the drummer retired from the road, saying we was unable to recover well enough to handle the band’s most challenging material.

Speaking to Eddie Trunk in July 2025, McBrain said he’s still open to studio and stage work with the band. “It’s a possibility that when they come over here [to the U.S.], I might end up doing a show with them, just getting up and doing a song or two, or just being there,” he said. “If there is a new album in the pipeline, it’s a possibility I’ll do a couple of tracks on the album. Yeah, who knows?”

Heart (1975-1979 Lineup)

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Heart (1975-1979 Lineup)

Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Roger Fisher (out since 1979), Steve Fossen (out since 1982), Michael Derosier (out since 1982), Howard Leese (out since 1998)

Except for the Wilson sisters, nobody who performed on Heart’s first four albums has been in the band for over 25 years. The group has been largely inactive over the past decade, first because of a violent incident between the Wilson sisters’ family members that sent the group into a hiatus, and then because of the COVID pandemic.

Heart has been touring since late 2023 with a band largely comprised of members from the solo band Ann Wilson assembled during their time apart.

In July 2024 Nancy said she had no interest in reuniting with the band’s original lineup, and that she had turned down a “big offer” to do so. “I don’t think you could pay me enough, it’s…. what’s the word? It’s icky.”

Heart (1982-1992 Lineup)

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Heart (1982-1992 Lineup)

Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Howard Leese (out since 1998), Mark Andes (out since 1993), Denny Carmassi (out since 1993)

Nobody this side of Aerosmith had a bigger ’80s commercial rebirth than Heart, who changed up their sound, look and rhythm section while becoming MTV and radio superstars.

Bassist Mark Andes and drummer Denny Carmassi left the band after a decade of service in 1992 and 1993 respectively, joining a roster of current and former Heart members that now includes over 40 musicians.

The Wilson sisters have both said they felt they compromised their sound too much during the ’80s, making the chances of a nostalgic reunion seem very unlikely.

Rage Against the Machine

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Rage Against the Machine

Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk

Rage against the Machine have been together for only 18 of the 34 years since they first formed in 1991. They broke up for the third time in 2024, after a leg injury suffered by singer Zack de la Rocha forced them to cancel their 2023 tour plans.

The first time RATM broke up, Morello, Commerford and Wilk teamed up with Chris Cornell to form Audioslave, and the second they all joined forces with Chuck D and B-Real to form Prophets of Rage. So it seems like whatever fault line exists in this band lies between the singer and the instrumentalists.

For his part, de la Rocha has released a handful of collaborative songs in the past decade, including appearances on the last three Run the Jewels albums.

Night Ranger (1980-1988 Lineup)

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Night Ranger (1980-1988 Lineup)

Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Brad Gills, Jeff Watson (out since 2007), Alan Fitzgerald (out since 2003)

Keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald left Night Ranger for the second and final time in 2003, serving as Van Halen’s offstage keyboardist over the next two decades. Eric Levy has served in his place since 2011.

Watson’s 2007 departure was highly acrimonious, with the guitarist accusing his former bandmates of “personal greed” and not wanting to share the money fairly with him. Blades, Gillis and Keagy declared themselves “shocked and saddened” by Watson’s accusations, declaring: “There are four sides to this story our three are the same; only Jeff’s is different.”

R.E.M. (1980-1997 Lineup)

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R.E.M. (1980-1997 Lineup)

Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills (previous three disbanded in 2011), Bill Berry (out since 1997)

Two years after suffering an onstage brain aneurysm, drummer Bill Berry left R.E.M. in 1997, but only after making his bandmates promise to continue without him. They recorded five more albums with three original members before disbanding in 2011.

Although all four members have reunited for two one-song performances in recent years – one at an awards show and the second at a club in their hometown of Athens, Georgia – they seem pretty convinced their breakup was the right decision.

“I’m really proud of the fact that [R.E.M.] ended in 2011 with the ideals we started with in 1980,” guitarist Peter Buck told Rolling Stone in 2016. “I’m really proud of the body of work. There are a couple of records that aren’t great. But there’s a couple of Bob Dylan records that aren’t great.”

David Lee Roth Band (1985-1988 Lineup)

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David Lee Roth Band (1985-1988 Lineup)

David Lee Roth, Gregg Bissonette (out since 1992), Steve Vai (out since 1989), Billy Sheehan (out since 1988)

They only made two albums and went on one tour together, but nearly forty years later David Lee Roth fans are still hoping he reunites with the Eat ‘Em and Smile band. It almost happened in November 2015, as the foursome were scheduled to make a surprise appearance at a Los Angeles club to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first album together.

Unfortunately it wasn’t a very well-kept secret and the fire department was forced to pull the plug due to overcrowding just before the music started. OK so… clearly there’s demand, there’s bigger venues let’s get this done, right?

Janes Addiction (1986-1991, 2008-2010, 2024 Lineup)

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Jane’s Addiction (1986-1991, 2008-2010, 2024 Lineup)

Perry Farrell, Eric Avery, Stephen Perkins, Dave Navarro (disbanded 2024)

Just when it finally looked like the original lineup of Jane’s Addiction had gotten on the same page for good with excellent shows and a pair of new singles, Perry Farrell shoved and punched guitarist Dave Navarro near the end of a concert in September 2024.

He claimed the rest of the band was bullying him by playing too loudly, while the other members sued him for assault, emotional distress and breach of contract while questioning his mental state and drinking habits.

The singer soon fired back with his own lawsuit for libel and other charges, bringing a seemingly permanent end to the band. Reportedly, Avery, Perkins and Navarro are currently working on new music together.

Cheap Trick (1974-1980, 1987–2010 Lineup)

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Cheap Trick (1974-1980, 1987–2010 Lineup)

Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Peterson, Bun E. Carlos (out since 2010)

A 2010 argument over tour scheduling led to drummer Bun E. Carlos’ exile from Cheap Trick. Although he remains a paid member of the band, the only time he’s played with the group since then was during their 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Guitarist Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx has held down the drums for the band since Carlos’ departure. In 2014, Carlos took his bandmates to court alleging they had failed to hold up to their part of their financial deal. “Any friendship we had went away when I had to file a federal lawsuit,” he told Rolling Stone at the time.

Genesis (Various Lineups)

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Genesis (Various Lineups)

Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford (previous three disbanded in 2022), Peter Gabriel (out since 1975), Steve Hackett (out since 1977)

Genesis’ most commercially popular lineup of Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford called an end to their career after a farewell tour 2022 due to Collins’ declining health, making a reunion of any of the band’s lineups seem highly unlikely.

After leaving the group to start their own solo careers in 1975 and 1977 respectively, singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett only reunited with their former bandmates for one show, in 1982 to help Gabriel’s WOMAD festival get out of debt.

Scorpions (1979-1992 Lineup)

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Scorpions (1979-1992 Lineup)

Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Maine, Matthias Jabs, Francis Buckholz (out since 1992), Herman Rarebell (out since 1996)

After 18 years with the Scorpions, bassist Francis Buchholz left the band in 1992 after multiple disagreements about the composition of the band’s business team and the birth of his twin daughters.

The band’s smash hit 1990 ballad ‘Wind of Change” was the beginning of the end for drummer Rarebell’s time in the band. “Great song, but it wasn’t for me. That’s it for me, I stay in rock,” he told Dr. Music in 2025.

In 2021 Rarebell revealed that he offered to return following the 2016 departure of drummer James Kottack, but that his “rude” former bandmates never even replied to his message.

“Now I hear [they] are claiming their new album will be a return to the glory days of the eighties,” Rarebell told Classic Rock. “If they’re serious about that, they should get Francis and me back, and also Dieter Dierks who produced all those classic albums. You know why they won’t do that? Greed. It would mean having to share everything five ways and not three.”

The Police

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The Police

Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers (disbanded since 2008)

If you ask Sting, the Police already played their nostalgia card absolutely perfectly with their 2007-8 reunion tour. “You should do it once and the timing should be right,” he explained in 2023. “When the Police reunited, it had been long enough and it was the right time to do it. And I’m taking credit for that because that was my decision. Doing it again would just be gratuitous and that won’t happen. But we did it, and everyone was happy that mum and dad got back together again and had one last fling.”

In August 2025 it was reported that Copeland and Summers were suing Sting for lost royalties, so now’s probably not the best time to bring this up anyway.

Pearl Jam (1991-1994 Lineup)

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Pearl Jam (1991-1994 Lineup)

Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Dave Abbruzzese (out since 1994)

Despite appearing on two of Pearl Jam’s most popular and best-selling albums – 1993’s Vs. and 1994’s Vitalogy – drummer Dave Abbruzzese wasn’t one of the six Pearl Jam members inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

That tells you about everything you need to know about the state of his relationship with his former bandmates. Abbruzzese was fired in 1994, reportedly after a series of increasing personality and creative clashes.

When asked about a reunion in a 2023 interview Abbruzzese says:” I can’t imagine it. It wouldn’t be up to me, but at this point I just can’t imagine it. The first 15 minutes would be hugs, sure, but then the royalty talks would come up, percentages and stuff… and it’d get ugly real quick.”

Earlier this year longtime Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron announced his retirement from the band. A replacement hasn’t been named, but Abbruzzese fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath.

Talking Heads

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Talking Heads

David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz (disbanded in 1991)

In a 2023 interview, David Byrne admits he could have handled the Talking Heads’ breakup a lot better, referring to himself as a “little tyrant” who hadn’t learned the full value of collaboration.

But although he’s worked more closely with his former bandmates while promoting movie and album reissues in recent years, Byrne still has no interest in a full-fledged reunion.

The band reportedly turned down $80 million to play “six to eight festival gigs and headlining spots,” and the singer, at least, has no regrets. “You can’t turn the clock back,” Byrne told Rolling Stone. “And I also felt like there’s been a fair number of reunion records and tours. And some of them were probably pretty good. Not very many. It’s pretty much impossible to recapture where you were at that time in your life.”

Skid Row (1987-1996 Lineup)

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Skid Row (1987-1996 Lineup)

Scott Hill, Dave Sabo, Rachel Bolan, Rob Affuso (out since 1996), Sebastian Bach (out since 1996)

After an argument over whether or not the band should open for Kiss’ 1996 reunion tour, Sebastian Bach was fired from Skid Row in 1996. The group has gone through four lead singers since that time, and have consistently shot down Bach’s repeated reunion overtures.

In 2024 Bach seemed hopeful that the dam might finally break, explaining that he learned some unspecified fact that could help mend the fences. “I can just tell the world that there’s a good chance that’ll happen because there’s no fucking reason not to,” Bach continued. ”Because right now why it hasn’t happened is a miscommunication. That’s all I can say. There’s a miscommunication.”

In April 2025, bassist Rachel Bolan once again shot down the idea, stating that it wouldn’t be as profitable as some might expect: “We approached that at one point, and obviously it imploded very quickly. There’s not millions of dollars out there. I mean, as Skid Row, we’re making really good money. It wasn’t much more [with Bach].”

Queensryche (1982-1997 Lineup)

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Queensryche (1982-1997 Lineup)

Michael Wilton, Chris DeGarmo, Chris DeGarmo (left 1997), Geoff Tate (left 2012), Scott Rockenfield (left 2017)

Singer Geoff Tate’s 2012 departure from Queensryche got very ugly, with the two sides briefly both touring and releasing records under the same band name. In 2022 Tate told Eddie Trunk that the group were offered “just obscene amounts of money to get back together and do one tour — one tour and we’d never have to tour again. And a couple of people in the band turned it down; they’re not interested in doing it.”

Drummer Scott Rockenfield also sued his former bandmates in 2022, claiming he was unwillingly shut out of the band’s business in 2018 after taking a leave of absence to care for his partner’s health issues. The band countered that he left them on short notice, failed to respond when asked to help record their 2018 album The Verdict and refusing to help pay for their previously discussed settlement with Tate.

There’s no such drama with guitarist Chris DeGarmo, who left in 1997 to pursue other musical interests. “I’ll never say never,” he told Hair Metal Mansion in 2011. “I don’t know how likely it is though. I’m still on good terms with everyone. We’re still connected and communicating. We have the chemistry, that’s not an issue.”

Sonic Youth (1985-2011 Lineup)

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Sonic Youth (1985-2011 Lineup)

Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelly

The 2011 separation and divorce of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore also brought about the end of alternative pioneers Sonic Youth. Each member has pursued solo projects since that time.

In late 2024 Moore, Ranaldo and Shelley performed together at a small club, but in 2025 he said not to expect a full band reunion. “I find bands that get back together to be just an exercise. A lot of the time it’s less to do with the band and has more to do with the brand,” he told Rolling Stone. “And to replicate that is a little bit like a grandmother in a mini-dress, which I don’t want to be.”

Grand Funk Railroad (1969-1976 Lineup)

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Grand Funk Railroad (1969-1976 Lineup)

Don Brewer, Mel Schacher, Mark Farner (left 1998)

Based on the anger still present in recent quotes from former Grand Funk singer Mark Farner, the chances of the band’s original trio reuniting seem very remote.

Asked by Rock History Music in 2023 about the 50th anniversary tour that was going on without him, Farner spat: “You mean the grand fraud tour? It’s too bad because it’s completely dishonest. As legal as it may be, it is completely dishonest to the fans. And the fans are taking a slap in the face.”

Seven years earlier, Don Brewer explained his side of the group’s 1998 split. “Mel and I tried repeatedly to get Mark to continue to tour. He refused, and refused and refused,’ he told Classic Rock Revisited. “We had to say, ‘Mark, we want to continue. If we have to replace you then we will.’ He still said, ‘No.’ Mel and I talked it over and we said, ‘If we can find the right guys then we will continue on.’”

Read More: Poison Nix Tour After Bret Michaels Demands 600% More Than Band | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/poison-nix-tour-2026-bret-michaels-demands/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPa81dleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE0YWlxbU9CcTNsYUxSVTBvc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnWp6ERH2Kfwv45eIz5HrTlbI45HF6QfWGuojRigkZo25nsfYtXZoU23DSEP_aem_bfBMxHUBmtA57x-0JmPmBA&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral