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Picture having a free evening. You feel energized, eager for new things, and looking to break from your usual routine of post-work slumping. The world is your oyster! Would you prefer a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The outcome, as typically the case with these types of queries, is clearly: “That depends.” Reasonable people might logically ask: what's the show? Who is the other person? Will it be going to be good?

Not many would pick a intense rock concert if the other option was a magical night with a beloved celebrity. Yet change one side of the comparison, and it becomes more complicated. In the case of the participants asked this question through a major concert promoter, no such details was provided – and the answer emerged unambiguously and strongly preferring live music events.

Research Findings Reveal Surprising Preferences

A worldwide study, polling a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 in 15 markets, showed that gigs are now the number one pastime, beating out athletic events, films and – indeed – sexual intercourse. If restricted to only one option of activity for the rest of their lives, 39% of respondents selected live music, versus going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also significantly more as inclined to choose attending their preferred performer on stage (70%) rather than sex (30%).

You appear anticipating happily shocked – and quite often you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it’s not surprising that a marketing research conducted for a gig organizer might conclude so strongly supporting gigs – and, in the freewheeling mood of a hypothetical choice, if your preferred musician is, say Paul McCartney, you can see why attending his concert might win out rather than a routine situation. But this two-option scenario between live music or sexual activity, plainly ridiculous though it may be, is interesting to consider considering the strange juncture we experience with these two aspects.

The Change of Concert Culture

In recent years, live music participation has evolved into more than a group event but a serious endeavor. Event companies appropriately highlight that stadium attendance has “tripled annually”, and festivals sell out quicker than before. Simply getting tickets now demands military-level planning, quick decision-making and deep finances (or a substantial budget). Even if you’re successful, it isn't sufficient to merely attend and watch the performance. There’s now an assumption, especially for pop fans, that you might enhance your enjoyment value by seeing several shows (including overseas trips), swotting up on the performance lineup ahead of time and memorizing the cues to follow and fan traditions developed through previous crowds.

Many concertgoers admit to affected by their attendance at large concerts: what felt like a choreographed performance of huge audiences, to which some individuals arrived unfamiliar with the routine. The extended concert series, generating billions, showed of the degree to which fans will travel to participate in a significant event and experience their top musician play, though the live sound grows somewhat less important than the show.

The Situation of Contemporary Sexuality

Sex, by contrast – an affordable and accessible pleasure – is in challenging circumstances. Based on modern research, approximately 25% of people had sex in an average week, while just under a third were abstaining. In another major country, current statistics revealed that more than 25% of individuals reported not having sex even once in the past year, rising from fewer people in previous decades. In both territories, the shift has been associated with decreased encounters in youth demographics. Contrast this with the industry expanding rapidly for major events and the cutthroat competition for tickets. Naturally it's more complicated as a basic option between both alternatives – “would you rather attend a huge concert multiple times, or stay celibate?” – but it’s perhaps an signal of which is perceived as the more dependable satisfaction.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more similar than one may assume. They both embody the activation of a connection, a actual experience of impressions or possibility that may have developed solely in your imagination. You arrive with some idea of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing rests largely on how your vibe and hopes match theirs. Quite often you might find with another person's locks in your mouth, and afterwards be waiting around for a cigarette and personal space on your own. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can potentially heighten or detract from the situation (but certainly help the worst occasions easier to weather).

Finding the Balance

The appeal to live events and relationships hinges on locating that elusive sweet spot between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, effort and ease. Certainly it's uncommon – but it's the recollection of when it worked, the understanding that success is achievable, that inspires us to attempt once more: to {