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Picture having a open night. You are energized, eager for new things, and looking to change your usual routine of relaxing at home. Life itself offers possibilities! Would you choose a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The answer, as is often the case with these sorts of questions, is plainly: “It varies.” Thinking adults might logically ask: what kind of the gig? Who's the companion? Could it be expected to be enjoyable?

Few would select a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the other option was one enchanted evening with a beloved celebrity. However tweak any part of the equation, and it turns less clearcut. Regarding the thousands surveyed presented with this choice from a major concert promoter, no such context was offered – and the result emerged clearly and heavily in favour of concerts.

Study Data Reveal Unexpected Trends

An international survey, interviewing a large sample from 18 and 54 from different nations, found that concerts have become the most popular pastime, beating out sports, cinema and – yes – sex. When limited to one type of activity permanently, nearly four in ten chose live music, compared to watching movies (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also more than twice as likely to prefer watching their top musician in concert (70%) rather than intimacy (30%).

You show up anticipating pleasantly surprised – and frequently you might find with another person's locks in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Certainly it's expected that a marketing research carried out for a live event company should come out so overwhelmingly supporting concerts – and, amid the playful tone of a would-you-rather, if your favourite artist is, for example Paul McCartney, it's understandable why seeing him may be chosen rather than a ordinary encounter. But this binary choice between live music or intimacy, obviously silly even if it seems, is fascinating to think about given the odd juncture we’re at with each.

The Evolution of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, gig-going has grown beyond a communal experience but a serious endeavor. Live organizations rightly note that large venue turnout has “tripled annually”, and live events sell out faster than ever. Just obtaining tickets now demands detailed strategy, instant reactions and significant funds (or a substantial budget). Although you’re successful, it’s not enough to just show up and watch the performance. There’s now an assumption, at least among pop fans, that you could increase your return on investment by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), learning the performance lineup ahead of time and knowing your marks to perform and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Many fans describe being affected by their participation at major tours: appearing as a choreographed performance of huge audiences, where particular fans turned up unfamiliar with the routine. Those lengthy event, generating billions, was proof of the extents that attendees will push to experience a significant event and experience their top musician perform, even if the actual music appears more and more secondary to the production.

The State of Contemporary Sexuality

Sex, by contrast – a relatively cheap and accessible pleasure – experiences dire straits. Based on modern research, about a quarter of adults engaged sexually in an average week, while about three in ten were not engaging. In a different nation, recent data showed that a significant portion of individuals admitted to avoiding intimacy even once in the past year, rising from lower numbers in the past. In these areas, the change has been linked to decreased encounters with younger generations. Contrast this with the sector expanding rapidly for large concerts and the fierce battle for tickets. Naturally it isn't straightforward as a basic option between either option – “do you prefer see a major tour repeatedly, or avoid intimacy?” – but it might be an indication of how people see the more dependable enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Relationships and gigs are more comparable than one may assume. Each symbolizes the initiation of a relationship, a practical trial of expectations or possibility that could have built solely in your imagination. You come with a basic expectation of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves good or bad relies heavily on whether your energy and expectations match theirs. Regularly you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth, and following be lingering for a smoke and personal space by yourself. Similarly for each, substances and drinks can sometimes improve or reduce the experience (but definitely make the worst experiences more bearable).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to both gigs and sex relies on finding that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Naturally it happens only rarely – but it’s the memory of when they did, the understanding that it can happen, that drives us to give it another shot: to {