‘Far from perfect’: Sheppard reveals the crushing reality of life on the road

Indie pop trio Sheppard have revealed why they didn’t cancel a concert despite only selling a handful of tickets.

Aussie indie-pop chart-toppers Sheppard have shared the brutal reality of life on the road after selling just 59 tickets to one of their shows in Europe.

George, Emma and Amy Sheppard decided not to cancel the show in Warsaw this week despite knowing they would lose money by going ahead.

The trio said despite knowing in advance they had sold minimal tickets, “we knew the 59 that would show up would be our biggest fans.”

Aussie band Sheppard share brutal truth at Poland gig. Picture: Instagram

Emma Shepherd’s candid post, which showed photos of the band giving it all they had for the small audience, pulled back the curtain on the how the cost-of-living crisis continues to make it tough for bands on the road.

“We’ve gone from playing to huge crowds to literally 59 people in Poland. But you know what?” she wrote.

“We show up for those people and it’s going to be the best damn show they’ve seen.

“It’s never about quantity but quality and we have the best fans that show up for us.”

The band rocked out like they were playing to a stadium. Picture: Instagram

Sheppard exploded onto the global airwaves a decade ago with the breakthrough single Geronimo which reached the top 10 in more than a dozen European countries.

Now based in the US city of Nashville, the sibling trio have cracked the one billion Spotify streams ceiling and recently released a Geronimo 2025 dance remix to support their European and US tour.

Emma told fans via their social media channels that she wanted to show how “not everything is perfect” for an Aussie band trying to maintain their fanbase around the world.

But the show must go on if a band wanted to keep those fans for life, not just one gig.

“(It’s) actually far from perfect in the music industry but what is important is showing up for your fans and believing in what you do,” she wrote.

The band posing with their 59 Polish fans after the show. Picture: Instagram

At the end of the show, the band shared a selfie taken with the 59 Polish fans and then shared videos of the singing and dancing audience without attempting to hide the size of the crowd.

Since the show in Poland, they have shared other posts showing bigger audiences at gigs in Czechia and Austria.

They also shared how “sleep” isn’t built into the touring schedule and they are now “masters of sleeping anywhere at anytime” in their crowded tour van.

Sheppard wind up their European and UK tour at the end of the month before heading home for a couple of gigs and then back to America for more shows.

The band have played massive gigs over their career including performing at the AFL grand final and New York’s Central Park last year for the Aussie BBQ concert.

They are also the co-writers ofMilkshake Man which indie pop artist Go-Jo will perform at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

Originally published as ‘Far from perfect’: Sheppard reveals the crushing reality of life on the road