Yes, it’s not abnormal, but it’s usually “a friend” of the band. My friend is in an indie band that has done shows and music festivals in our state. Usually the merch table with the T-shirts and CDs are run by the band members family - partners/parents/kids or by friends. I’ve run it a few times at shows in my city with my friend’s wife. It makes me ask myself how big of douches these guys are that they don’t have a family member who’s willing to support them during a summer tour in Europe. That’s a pretty big tour for an indie band. Wouldn’t a friend/family want to support their person? Why do these guys have to go begging complete strangers on the internet to be their slave???