I have a few different friends in a few different bands (not signed or anything just casual), and thats exactly how it is for them, if not worse. I think they always came out in the negative doing their tours.

Its all about having fun really. And an attempt to get their name known in hopes to become big enough to actually make some cash. But the bands are not necessarily their lives either.

So for those mid level bands, thats definitely a rough time. They are past the point of being a casual band and it does become their life, yet not quite to the point where they are making any money. So the band is their life, but not gaining much for their sacrifices besides having fun; which the fun probably starts diminishing quickly...