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Imagine being gifted with a open night. You are rejuvenated, eager for new things, and wanting to change your regular habits of evening scrolling. Life itself is your oyster! Do you opt for a) attending a concert or b) engaging in intimacy? The outcome, as is often seen with these types of hypotheticals, is obviously: “It varies.” Thinking adults might logically ask: what kind of the gig? Who is the other person? Is it expected to be satisfying?

Few would select a heavy metal lineup if the choice was a magical night with a beloved celebrity. But adjust one side of the equation, and it grows less obvious. In the case of the thousands surveyed posed this query through a live event company, no further details was provided – and the result was revealed clearly and heavily supporting gigs.

Survey Results Reveal Unexpected Choices

A global survey, polling thousands of participants from 18 and 54 in different nations, showed that live music have become the number one form of entertainment, ranking above athletic events, films and – yes – sexual intercourse. If restricted to only one option of entertainment forever, nearly four in ten chose live music, against going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). Participants were over two times as prone to choose watching their top musician in concert (70%) rather than sexual activity (30%).

You appear anticipating pleasantly surprised – and regularly you might find with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Of course it’s not surprising that a PR survey conducted for a concert promoter would result so overwhelmingly preferring live shows – and, amid the playful tone of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, for example Paul McCartney, one can appreciate why attending his concert could prevail over a ordinary situation. But this binary choice between concerts or sex, obviously silly though it may be, is interesting to consider amid the peculiar moment we face with these two aspects.

The Transformation of Gig Attendance

Over the past few years, concert attendance has grown beyond a group event but a serious endeavor. Event companies rightly note that arena crowds has “grown significantly year-over-year”, and music festivals are fully reserved faster than ever. Just obtaining tickets now requires military-level planning, quick decision-making and bottomless pockets (or a high spending capacity). Though you manage, that alone won't do to simply turn up and watch the performance. Currently there is an anticipation, at least among concertgoers, that you could increase your enjoyment value by going multiple times (including overseas trips), learning the performance lineup ahead of time and understanding the rituals to follow and fan traditions developed through earlier audiences.

Many fans admit to scarred by their attendance at large concerts: what felt like a orchestrated show of massive crowds, where some individuals turned up unaware of the protocol. Those lengthy concert series, earning massive sums, showed of the lengths to which fans will travel to feel part of a cultural moment and see their favourite artist perform, although the live sound appears more and more less important than the production.

The Situation of Modern Intimacy

Sexual activity, by contrast – a relatively cheap and accessible pleasure – experiences dire straits. Based on contemporary studies, about a quarter of adults had sex in an average week, while about three in ten were not engaging. In a different nation, recent data revealed that more than 25% of people reported not having sex at all in the previous year, rising from fewer people in previous decades. In both territories, the trend has been associated with less sexual activity in youth demographics. Juxtapose this with the market booming for major events and the fierce battle for passes. Certainly it's more complicated as a basic option between both alternatives – “could you choose see a major tour often, or stay celibate?” – but it might be an indication of what is viewed as the more reliable enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Relationships and gigs are more comparable than you might think. They both embody the initiation of a connection, a practical trial of impressions or promise that may have developed just in your mind. You come with a basic expectation of what might happen, but anticipating pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves good or bad relies heavily on whether your energy and hopes match theirs. Frequently you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and following be waiting around for a break and personal space alone. Similarly for each, substances and drinks can potentially heighten or lessen the situation (but absolutely assist the most dire experiences simpler to handle).

Achieving Equilibrium

The magic to concerts and intimacy depends on finding that hard-to-find balance between familiarity and novelty, sameness and variation, work and relaxation. Certainly it's uncommon – but it's the recollection of when it worked, the knowledge that it’s possible, that motivates us to try again: to {