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Envision having a free evening. You are refreshed, ready for adventure, and wanting to break from your usual routine of relaxing at home. Life itself offers possibilities! Could you prefer a) seeing live music or b) having sex? The response, as is often true with these sorts of queries, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults might logically ask: what kind of the concert? Who is the partner? Is it likely to be satisfying?

Hardly anyone would select a intense rock concert if the other option was a magical night with a beloved celebrity. But adjust one side of the scenario, and it grows less clearcut. In the case of the participants presented with this choice from a gig organization, no such clarification was provided – and the result was revealed decisively and strongly in favour of concerts.

Study Data Show Surprising Choices

A global survey, interviewing thousands of participants aged between 18 and 54 in 15 markets, showed that gigs are now the number one leisure activity, ranking above athletic events, movies and – indeed – intimacy. Given the choice to only one option of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, 39% of respondents picked concerts, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). Participants were more than twice as inclined to select watching their top musician in concert (70%) over sex (30%).

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

Context and Considerations

Of course it’s not surprising that a PR survey conducted for a concert promoter should come out so heavily in favour of live shows – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your preferred musician is, say Paul McCartney, you can see why attending his concert could prevail rather than a ordinary experience. However this two-option scenario between live music or intimacy, plainly ridiculous even if it seems, is noteworthy to reflect on amid the peculiar juncture we experience with each.

The Evolution of Live Music Experience

In recent years, concert attendance has become not just a shared activity but a competitive sport. Event companies appropriately highlight that arena crowds has “tripled year-over-year”, and festivals get booked up more rapidly than previously. Merely acquiring passes now requires detailed strategy, quick decision-making and deep finances (or a substantial budget). Though you’re successful, it isn't sufficient to simply turn up and watch the performance. Currently there is an anticipation, at least among pop fans, that you might enhance your return on investment by attending more than once (even travelling internationally), swotting up on the performance lineup in advance and memorizing the cues to follow and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Several concertgoers admit to scarred by their participation at popular events: what felt like a orchestrated show of huge audiences, where particular fans turned up not knowing the routine. That 18-month event, earning massive sums, was proof of the lengths to which attendees will push to participate in a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer play, even if the live sound grows somewhat secondary to the production.

The Condition of Modern Intimacy

Sexual activity, by contrast – a relatively cheap and accessible pleasure – faces difficult times. According to recent surveys, about a quarter of people had sex in an average week, while about three in ten were abstaining. Elsewhere, recent data showed that more than 25% of people reported not having sexual activity even once in the past year, rising from fewer people in earlier years. In both territories, the shift has been attributed to less sexual activity with younger generations. Compare this with the market booming for major events and the fierce battle for tickets. Of course it isn't straightforward as a straightforward choice between both alternatives – “do you prefer attend a huge concert often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it's possibly an signal of how people see the more dependable satisfaction.

Interesting Comparisons

Intimacy and concerts are closer aligned than one may assume. They both embody the initiation of a connection, a practical trial of ideas or potential that might have amassed just in your mind. You show up with a basic expectation of what might happen, but expecting to be pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves good or bad depends very much on if your enthusiasm and expectations align with others. Quite often you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and following be waiting around for a cigarette and a moment alone by yourself. Likewise with either, substances and drinks can potentially heighten or lessen the situation (but absolutely assist the worst occasions simpler to handle).

Finding the Balance

The wonder to both gigs and sex hinges on discovering that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Certainly it occurs infrequently – but it’s the memory of when it worked, the understanding that it’s possible, that motivates us to try again: to {