# Gojira brings in Paleface Swiss drummer after visa setback

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/gojira-drummer-mario-pulls-out-of-us-tour-due-to-visa-issues-replaced-with-man-named-luigi/
- Published: 2026-07-17T16:17:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-17T22:32:49+00:00
- Original publisher: NME
- Original article: https://www.nme.com/news/music/gojira-drummer-mario-pulls-out-of-us-tour-due-to-visa-issues-replaced-with-man-named-luigi-3957623?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gojira-drummer-mario-pulls-out-of-us-tour-due-to-visa-issues-replaced-with-man-named-luigi
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Gojira drummer Mario missed US shows over visa issues
- Luigi Paraventi of Paleface Swiss filled in as replacement
- Latest act hit by US visa problems, after Enter Shikari, FKA Twigs

## Summary

Gojira drummer Mario Duplantier withdrew from the French metal band's US festival tour due to unresolved visa issues, with Luigi Paraventi of Paleface Swiss stepping in as his temporary replacement for the remaining dates. The band announced the change on social media just before their appearance at Rock Fest in Wisconsin, explaining that Duplantier had fought to resolve the immigration problem but could not travel in time, and leaned into the coincidence of the substitute drummer sharing a name with Mario's video game "brother", joking that "player two has entered the game".

With Paraventi filling in, Gojira completed their US run, playing Wisconsin's Rock Fest before further sets at Upheaval Festival in Michigan and Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Ohio, following a European tour supporting Metallica that closed with two nights at London Stadium. The band becomes the latest act to have US shows disrupted by visa complications, joining Enter Shikari, who cancelled their entire North American tour in May 2026, and FKA Twigs, who scrapped her US dates in 2025 for the same reason.

## Coverage

- [NME: Gojira brings in Paleface Swiss drummer after visa setback](https://www.nme.com/news/music/gojira-drummer-mario-pulls-out-of-us-tour-due-to-visa-issues-replaced-with-man-named-luigi-3957623?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gojira-drummer-mario-pulls-out-of-us-tour-due-to-visa-issues-replaced-with-man-named-luigi)
- [Consequence: Gojira Temporarily Replace Mario with Luigi Due to “Immigration Issue”](https://consequence.net/2026/07/gojira-temporarily-replace-mario-with-luigi/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.