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Envision being gifted with a free evening. You're feeling refreshed, eager for new things, and hoping to break from your regular habits of evening scrolling. Your options offers possibilities! Would you choose a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The response, as typically true with such kinds of hypotheticals, is obviously: “It depends.” Mature individuals may reasonably ask: what kind of the gig? Who's the companion? Could it be likely to be good?

Few would choose a intense rock concert if the alternative was a dream date with a favorite star. However tweak any part of the equation, and it becomes less obvious. Regarding the 40,000 people asked this question by a live event company, no further clarification was provided – and the response emerged clearly and overwhelmingly supporting live music events.

Survey Results Indicate Interesting Choices

A global study, questioning thousands of participants aged between 18 and 54 in 15 markets, showed that live music are now the most popular form of entertainment, beating out games, movies and – absolutely – sex. When limited to one type of enjoyment permanently, nearly four in ten chose gigs, versus watching movies (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also significantly more as prone to prefer seeing their favourite artist in concert (70%) over sexual activity (30%).

You arrive anticipating delightfully amazed – and regularly you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Perspectives and Analysis

Naturally it's expected that a promotional study conducted for a concert promoter would result so heavily supporting concerts – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a either-or question, if your top performer is, for example an iconic star, it's understandable why attending his concert might win out rather than a routine experience. Yet this two-option scenario between concerts or sex, obviously silly even if it seems, is fascinating to reflect on given the odd point we face with both.

The Transformation of Live Music Experience

Lately, concert attendance has evolved into more than a shared activity but a competitive sport. Major promoters rightly note that stadium attendance has “grown significantly annually”, and festivals are fully reserved more rapidly than previously. Merely acquiring passes now requires military-level planning, rapid-fire response times and deep finances (or a substantial budget). Though you’re successful, it’s not enough to just show up and watch the performance. Nowadays exists an expectation, particularly with music enthusiasts, that you could increase your experience quality by seeing several shows (including overseas trips), studying the song selection beforehand and memorizing the cues to perform and fan traditions created by past attendees.

Numerous attendees admit to scarred by their participation at popular events: what seemed like a scripted production of huge audiences, to which certain attendees came unaware of the protocol. The extended tour, generating billions, showed of the lengths to which fans will travel to feel part of a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer perform, even if the live sound seems increasingly less important than the show.

The State of Current Relationships

Sex, conversely – a relatively cheap and available enjoyment – faces dire straits. According to recent surveys, nearly one in four of individuals were intimate in an average week, while just under a third were not engaging. In another major country, current statistics showed that a significant portion of people said they had not sex a single time in the previous year, up from fewer people in the past. In both territories, the trend has been associated with less sexual activity in youth demographics. Compare this with the sector expanding rapidly for large concerts and the fierce battle for passes. Certainly it isn't straightforward as a basic option between one or the other – “could you choose attend a huge concert repeatedly, or avoid intimacy?” – but it’s perhaps an signal of which is perceived as the more consistent enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more comparable than people often believe. They both embody the initiation of a relationship, a actual experience of expectations or possibility that may have developed just in your mind. You arrive with some idea of the probable outcome, but anticipating happily shocked – and whether it proves satisfying or frustrating rests largely on how your vibe and anticipations align with others. Regularly you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and afterwards be hanging out for a smoke and some quiet time alone. Similarly for each, drugs and alcohol can sometimes improve or reduce the event (but certainly help the most dire situations more bearable).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to concerts and intimacy hinges on locating that perfect combination between familiarity and novelty, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Naturally it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of when they did, the knowledge that it can happen, that inspires us to try again: to {