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Picture having a free evening. You are energized, eager for new things, and looking to break from your usual routine of post-work slumping. Life itself is your oyster! Do you choose a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The answer, as typically true with these sorts of questions, is plainly: “That depends.” Mature individuals might logically ask: what kind of the show? Who is the partner? Will it be likely to be good?

Few would choose a heavy metal lineup if the other option was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust either end of the comparison, and it grows more complicated. For the thousands surveyed presented with this choice from a gig organization, no such details was given – and the answer emerged decisively and overwhelmingly in favour of gigs.

Survey Results Show Unexpected Choices

A global study, interviewing 40,000 people ranging from 18 and 54 in 15 markets, revealed that concerts have become the world’s top pastime, surpassing athletic events, movies and – absolutely – sexual intercourse. When limited to one type of enjoyment permanently, nearly four in ten selected concerts, compared to film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also more than twice as prone to choose watching their top musician on stage (70%) rather than intimacy (30%).

You appear expecting to be delightfully amazed – and frequently you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it’s not surprising that a PR survey conducted for a live event company would result so strongly preferring concerts – and, with the speculative spirit of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, for example an iconic star, you can see why seeing him may be chosen rather than a common or garden encounter. Yet this binary choice between concerts or sexual activity, clearly absurd though it may be, is noteworthy to think about amid the peculiar juncture we face with these two aspects.

The Transformation of Live Music Experience

In recent years, concert attendance has evolved into more than a communal experience but a serious endeavor. Major promoters appropriately highlight that large venue turnout has “increased threefold year-over-year”, and live events sell out quicker than before. Just obtaining admissions now requires military-level planning, quick decision-making and bottomless pockets (or a substantial budget). Although you manage, it’s not enough to merely attend and experience the event. Nowadays exists an expectation, at least among pop fans, that you could increase your enjoyment value by attending more than once (even travelling internationally), learning the song selection ahead of time and knowing your marks to perform and calls-and-responses developed through past attendees.

Several attendees report feeling affected by their participation at major tours: what felt like a choreographed performance of huge audiences, to which certain attendees turned up unfamiliar with the routine. Those lengthy event, producing huge revenue, was proof of the degree to which fans will travel to experience a significant event and watch their preferred performer play, although the live sound appears more and more less important than the spectacle.

The Condition of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, by contrast – a relatively cheap and available enjoyment – is in dire straits. According to recent surveys, nearly one in four of adults had sex in an typical week, while about three in ten were abstaining. In another major country, current statistics showed that a significant portion of individuals admitted to avoiding sex at all in the previous year, up from lower numbers in the past. In these areas, the shift has been linked to less sexual activity in youth demographics. Contrast this with the sector driving growth for stadium extravaganzas and the cutthroat competition for tickets. Certainly it’s not as simple as a basic option between one or the other – “would you rather experience a popular event repeatedly, or remain abstinent?” – but it's possibly an sign of what is viewed as the more dependable satisfaction.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more comparable than people often believe. Each symbolizes the activation of a bond, a actual experience of expectations or promise that may have developed solely in your imagination. You show up with some idea of the probable outcome, but anticipating pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing depends very much on if your enthusiasm and anticipations correspond with partners. Frequently you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth, and later be hanging out for a smoke and some quiet time on your own. And, in both cases, drugs and alcohol can sometimes improve or lessen the experience (but definitely make the most dire occasions easier to weather).

Finding the Balance

The appeal to both gigs and sex hinges on locating that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, sameness and variation, challenge and comfort. Certainly it's uncommon – but it's the recollection of when they did, the knowledge that success is achievable, that motivates us to give it another shot: to {