While the person in this story did have (remote) backups, it always amazes me how many people who rely so heavily on their main laptop for their trade/work/business in realtime (e.g. a touring DJ) don't a) carry around a second identical one that b) has everything (apps, data) preloaded on to it.

Yeah, I get ya. Much music is made directly on laptops, and if you figure the surrounding stuff as well (sound samples, animated backdrops, VST's etc) the assets required for a gig can be several GiBs big.

VSTs are lighter than pedals.