Gojira drummer to miss US tour due to “immigration issue”
French metal band Gojira have revealed their drummer Mario Duplantier will miss their US tour due to an “immigration issue”.
The group began their summer dates in the US on July 16th at Rock Fest in Wisconsin and are due to perform at Upheaval Festival at the Grand Rapids tonight (July 17th), as well as Inkarceration Music and Tattoo Festival in Ohio on July 18th.
However, they will be without Duplantier for the set of shows, taking to Instagram to share, “Hey everyone! Important update regarding our Festival performances. Mario is dealing with an immigration issue that has made it impossible for him to travel to the US in time for our shows.”
They added that “Mario is heartbroken not to be here with us and has fought hard every step of the way to find a solution”.
Thankfully, they have sorted a last-minute replacement who has come in to save the day and ensure the shows go ahead as planned, revealing, “We’re so grateful for the incredible Luigi Paraventi of Paleface Swiss, who has stepped in on short notice.”
The irony of Luigi stepping in for Mario wasn’t lost on Gojira either, who added, “Player 2 has entered the game — RESPECT.” They also shared an image of the two iconic Mario Bros characters on the Instagram post, too.
They did not specify the reasons why Duplantier, whose mother is American, was not allowed to enter the US for the set of festival appearances.
It comes after Enter Shikari previously cancelled a US tour in May over visa issues. Similarly, fellow British band Flyte cancelled their North American tour in October 2025 after their visas were denied, which left them “heartbroken“.
Additionally, Yusuf/Cat Stevens cancelled his book tour in North America due to not having his visa approved in time, explaining at the time, “Waiting months for visa approvals, we held out as long as we could. However, at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time.”
See Gojira’s post below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.