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Envision finding yourself with a free evening. You feel energized, ready for adventure, and looking to change your usual routine of evening scrolling. Your options offers possibilities! Do you prefer a) attending a concert or b) engaging in intimacy? The answer, as frequently seen with such kinds of questions, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults might logically ask: what kind of the gig? Who is the partner? Will it be likely to be satisfying?

Hardly anyone would pick a intense rock concert if the choice was a magical night with a beloved celebrity. However tweak either end of the equation, and it becomes less obvious. For the 40,000 people presented with this choice through a gig organization, no further context was provided – and the result was revealed clearly and heavily in favour of concerts.

Study Data Reveal Interesting Preferences

An international survey, questioning thousands of participants from 18 and 54 across 15 markets, showed that gigs are now the number one leisure activity, ranking above athletic events, films and – yes – sex. If restricted to only one option of entertainment forever, a significant portion chose live music, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also over two times as inclined to choose attending their preferred performer in concert (70%) over sex (30%).

You arrive hopeful of being happily shocked – and quite often you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Naturally it makes sense that a marketing research commissioned by a live event company would result so strongly in favour of gigs – and, with the speculative mood of a hypothetical choice, if your preferred musician is, such as Paul McCartney, one can appreciate why attending his concert could prevail instead of a routine encounter. Yet this two-option scenario between live music or sex, clearly absurd though it may be, is fascinating to reflect on amid the peculiar moment we face with both.

The Transformation of Concert Culture

In recent years, concert attendance has become not just a shared activity but a competitive sport. Live organizations appropriately highlight that large venue turnout has “tripled each year”, and music festivals are fully reserved more rapidly than previously. Just obtaining passes now requires detailed strategy, rapid-fire response times and bottomless pockets (or a generous credit card limit). Though you manage, it isn't sufficient to merely attend and experience the event. Nowadays exists an anticipation, at least among pop fans, that you could increase your return on investment by attending more than once (potentially going abroad), learning the performance lineup beforehand and knowing your marks to hit and calls-and-responses developed through previous crowds.

Numerous fans describe being scarred by their attendance at major tours: what felt like a orchestrated show of huge audiences, in which certain attendees turned up unaware of the routine. The extended tour, generating billions, demonstrated of the degree to which fans will travel to feel part of a significant event and see their favourite artist perform, even if the actual music grows somewhat secondary to the production.

The State of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, by contrast – an affordable and accessible pleasure – faces dire straits. Based on contemporary studies, nearly one in four of adults had sex in an average week, while about three in ten were not engaging. Elsewhere, recent data revealed that more than 25% of individuals said they had not sex even once in the previous year, up from fewer people in the past. In both territories, the shift has been attributed to less sexual activity in youth demographics. Juxtapose this with the industry booming for large concerts and the intense rivalry for admissions. Of course it’s not as simple as a simple decision between one or the other – “do you prefer attend a huge concert often, or stay celibate?” – but it’s perhaps an sign of how people see the more consistent pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Relationships and gigs are more similar than you might think. Each symbolizes the initiation of a relationship, a practical trial of expectations or promise that may have developed only in your head. You come with a general notion of how it’s likely to go, but anticipating delightfully amazed – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing rests largely on how your vibe and anticipations match theirs. Regularly you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and later be lingering for a break and personal space by yourself. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can either enhance or lessen the event (but absolutely assist the worst experiences easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The wonder to live events and relationships relies on finding that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Naturally it occurs infrequently – but it's the remembrance of when they did, the understanding that it’s possible, that motivates us to try again: to {