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Imagine having a open night. You're feeling energized, eager for new things, and looking to break from your usual routine of post-work slumping. Your options offers possibilities! Could you prefer a) attending a concert or b) being with a partner? The response, as typically the case with such kinds of hypotheticals, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults could understandably inquire: what kind of the show? Who's the partner? Is it likely to be enjoyable?

Few would pick a intense rock concert if the alternative was a dream date with a beloved celebrity. However tweak one side of the scenario, and it grows less obvious. For the thousands surveyed asked this question from a major concert promoter, no additional details was provided – and the result emerged unambiguously and strongly in favour of live music events.

Survey Results Show Surprising Trends

An international survey, interviewing a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 across 15 markets, revealed that live music have become the world’s top pastime, surpassing games, cinema and – absolutely – intimacy. When limited to a single form of activity forever, a significant portion picked gigs, compared to watching movies (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). Participants were more than twice as inclined to select watching their top musician live (70%) instead of sexual activity (30%).

You show up anticipating happily shocked – and quite often you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Certainly it makes sense that a promotional study commissioned by a concert promoter would result so overwhelmingly supporting live shows – and, with the speculative mood of a would-you-rather, if your top performer is, such as an iconic star, it's understandable why seeing him could prevail rather than a routine encounter. However this two-option scenario between gigs or sexual activity, plainly ridiculous as it is, is fascinating to reflect on given the odd moment we face with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Live Music Experience

Over the past few years, gig-going has become not just a shared activity but a competitive sport. Event companies duly point out that arena crowds has “grown significantly year-over-year”, and festivals get booked up more rapidly than previously. Simply getting passes now requires military-level planning, rapid-fire response times and significant funds (or a high spending capacity). Although you manage, it isn't sufficient to simply turn up and watch the performance. There’s now an assumption, especially for music enthusiasts, that you could increase your return on investment by going multiple times (potentially going abroad), swotting up on the song selection in advance and knowing your marks to perform and calls-and-responses created by previous crowds.

Several concertgoers describe being scarred by their participation at major tours: what felt like a scripted production of thousands of people, to which certain attendees turned up unaware of the steps. The extended tour, generating billions, showed of the extents that attendees will push to experience a significant event and watch their preferred performer sing, although the live sound appears more and more overshadowed by the spectacle.

The State of Contemporary Sexuality

Sex, conversely – an affordable and available enjoyment – faces difficult times. According to contemporary studies, approximately 25% of individuals were intimate in an typical week, while nearly 30% were not engaging. Elsewhere, recent data indicated that a significant portion of adults said they had not sexual activity a single time in the previous year, up from smaller percentages in the past. In both territories, the trend has been attributed to less sexual activity with younger generations. Compare this with the market booming for large concerts and the fierce battle for passes. Certainly it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between either option – “do you prefer experience a popular event multiple times, or stay celibate?” – but it’s perhaps an sign of what is viewed as the more consistent pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Intimacy and concerts are closer aligned than one may assume. Each symbolizes the commencement of a connection, a practical trial of impressions or possibility that might have amassed just in your mind. You come with some idea of what might happen, but hopeful of being happily shocked – and if it turns out enjoyable or disappointing rests largely on how your vibe and anticipations match theirs. Regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and later be waiting around for a smoke and a moment alone on your own. And, in both cases, substances and drinks can sometimes improve or reduce the experience (but absolutely assist the most dire experiences easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to both gigs and sex depends on discovering that hard-to-find balance between comfort and excitement, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Naturally it happens only rarely – but it’s the memory of when they did, the knowledge that it’s possible, that inspires us to attempt once more: to {