INTERVIEW: ILL NIÑO IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVE CHAVARRI & VOCALIST TOMMY ROULETTE

Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi

No Barriers caught up with drummer Dave Chavarri and vocalist Tommy

Roulette from the iconic nu-metal band

Ill Niño are returning to Australia after an eight-year touring absence. They are going to play three first time ever headline gigs in September 2025. Ill Niño will be hitting venues in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Joining them on this tour, for the first time ever in Australia, will be the Californian nu-metal band Adema, making this a double hit of “firsts” and heaviness.

The Union City, New Jersey natives, Ill Niño (sick child) are one of the best live acts in the nu-metal genre. And, and from the live streams and video of their just completed US Tour over the last few months, the band is as dynamic as ever. What makes Ill Niño’s music so unique is their unusual blend of heavy guitar riffs, big drum rolls with Latin percussion and bilingual vocals. “We’re gonna go fucking off,” exclaimed Dave Chavarri. “We have some young blood in Tommy fronting the band. And, we are just gonna bring that rawness to the show”.

Dave Chavarri is a “frequent flyer” to Australia and has the lingo down! His special link to Australia, especially to “the Goldie” as the locals say, is his “his second home” and family from the Gold Coast. And, if you are at the Brisbane gig you might want to get a look at the “rider” at The Triffid for backstage with ‘vanilla slices’, ‘V’ and other Aussie delicacies on the menu. “Yeah. I gotta get the band to experience all this Aussie food – especially kebabs – they toast them – and salad sandwiches with ham and beetroot. “Go the root!” said Dave Chavarri. “I fucking love Australia! I love it there. I’ve got a special connection with Australia – I’m married to an Australian woman, Haley. We’ve been married 18 years. My daughter was born on the Gold Coast – she’s 15 now – so she’s half Australian, half Peruvian American”.

Ill Niño as a band have a great knowledge of Australia. Tommy Roulette had an amazing knowledge of the Australian heavy metal scene. “I love Australian heavy metal and nu-metal bands,” said Tommy Roulette as he reeled off like ten band names and I was impressed. “I am also like – let’s fucking go – with Adema as well. I first got into them through Mortal Kombat – those video games were how I found bands”. His performances in the US with Ill Niño have received high praise from fans as many have posted: “He fkn killed it tonight!” and this just makes the coming tour so exciting for heavy metal and nu-metal fans.

Ill Niño's touring line-up will comprise of Dave Chavarri (drums), Lazaro Pina (bass), Daniel Couto (percussion), Salvador Dominguez (rhythm guitar), Jes De Hoyos (lead guitar), Miggy Sanchez (percussion/backing vocals), and Tommy Roulette (vocals). And, the good news is that the band have a new album in the pipeline and a new song will be released before the Australian tour kicks off.

“Yeah. The new album is coming along,” said Dave Chavarri looking like a Latin version Buddy Holly rockin’ the nerd glasses. “The new single ‘Born To Suffer’ will come out soon. Before the tour starts. This will be our first Ill Niño tour in Australia where we’re the sole headliners, so we’re playing a full 90-minute set. This time, we’re doing all the hits from ‘Revolution Revolución’, ‘Confession’, some from ‘One Nation’ and definitely some new songs”.

“We are more excited than you know to come back to Australia to tour,” stated Dave Chavarri. “We have so much new shit up our sleeves with the new line-up and new music. It’s gonna be great”. It is great to see that Ill Niño will have new music along with ‘Beast Inside’ released last year that proves the band still have plenty of fire left with these great new tracks. The setlist will be something for fans as the mega hits of 'I Am Loco' as well as 'How Can I Live', 'What Comes Around' and 'What You Deserve' will feature.

“It’s going to be a fuckin’ excellent tour with Adema,” stated Dave Chavarri and Tommy Roulette “It’s gonna be sick”. “I’m so glad we’re bringing them. They’ve never been to Australia. We’ve been good buddies since the early 2000s. We’ve talked about doing this for years. We were in Mexico and we met up and it was like – yeah let’s just do it. Let’s fucking go!” explained Dave Chavarri.

Ill Niño are certainly a lot of fun and they have that larrikin spirit that fans will love. From the double line-up the two bands are set to deliver an evening of hyped-up intensity, bringing a mix of heavy riffs, Latin-infused percussion, emotionally engaging lyrics, and powerful performances that will make the gigs in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane unmissable experiences.

The tour kicks off in September 2025 with Ill Niño bringing along special guests Adema to hit Australian shores. It’s going to be a blast!

September 12 – Sydney – Liberty Hall
September 13 – Melbourne – Max Watt’s
September 14 – Brisbane – The Triffid

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