The article paints a picture of playing shows at an absolutely insane frenetic pace, averaging two shows a days for months at a time, in unfamiliar places, not even knowing the language, with demanding and wildly varying audiences. Having been in a band and gigging around my local town, a bit, I can’t even imagine touring in another country and doing multiple shows per day month after month - especially as a fresh band just starting out and barely knowing the instruments. There’s no question this ‘trial by fire’ would have killed some bands and propelled others. While it’s true that some act or another would make it, it’s also true that the spoils may have gone to one of the bands that was working the hardest and trying the most things. In HN parlance, what they did was a huge extended and very hands-on A/B test, gathering a lot of data to figure out what works and what doesn’t. I guess my point is to at least somewhat acknowledge that they really put in the work, and not frame it as pure luck.