Zheani Accuses Ill Niño’s Dave Chavarri of Tour Bus Scam

Australian artist Zheani has publicly accused Ill Niño drummer Dave Chavarri of false advertising and fraud, claiming that a tour bus she rented for her U.S. tour through a company overseen by Chavarri and his partner was not as advertised.

In a video recap, Zheani alleges that the bus provided was in deplorable condition—filthy, mold-ridden, and missing key amenities, including a functional shower. She states that she was initially informed the vehicle had been fully renovated and that her touring party would be the first to use it post-renovation. However, the reality was far from what was promised.

“Six months in advance I paid in full for a tour bus. It was gonna be our sanctuary. We were told we were gonna be the first ones on it after a full renovation, and most importantly, it was gonna have a shower, so we could get clean every night after the messy, grueling performances.

It took me about 3.5 seconds after walking onto the bus to know things weren’t right. What I was surrounded by was a filthy environment. I immediately beelined down the corridor to assess the shower and two bathrooms. No shower, one toilet, with vomit splash and human filth encrusted on the floors and walls. I was fucking scammed.”

Later in the video, around the 23:15 mark, Zheani details how Chavarri allegedly avoided responsibility, repeatedly delaying and deflecting when pressed about the missing bus:

“If anyone was wondering what happened with the bus. At first, the guy ignored our calls. Then he pretended he didn’t know what the problem was. Then he began lying, claiming that the actual bus would arrive next week. He continued lying like this every week and by halfway through the tour, I knew there was no bus coming, and me and my dancers were forced to shower ourselves in public bathroom sinks most nights, all across the country.

When the tour was over, he offered to refund me a couple thousand dollars and then proceeded to not respond. His wife, and co-owner of the business, suggested that we were drug addicts looking for an easy payday, brutal. No refund was ever transferred.

The man who did this to a bunch of independent female artists is Dave Chavarri. He is from a band called Ill Niño. I hope karma is real. I love my fans, but honestly, America is absolutely fucked. And the awful reality we found ourselves in is enough to make me never want to trust touring there again.

I felt responsible for every person on that bus with me. We were all living and working in those conditions together and I’m still mortified to this day.”

As of now, Chavarri has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!