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Picture having a night off. You are rejuvenated, ready for adventure, and hoping to shake up your regular habits of relaxing at home. Your options is your oyster! Could you prefer a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The outcome, as typically true with such kinds of questions, is obviously: “It varies.” Thinking adults may reasonably inquire: what is the show? Who's the partner? Is it likely to be enjoyable?

Few would pick a intense rock concert if the other option was a dream date with a beloved celebrity. But adjust any part of the comparison, and it becomes less obvious. Regarding the participants asked this question by a live event company, no additional details was provided – and the result was revealed decisively and heavily preferring concerts.

Study Data Indicate Unexpected Trends

A global study, interviewing thousands of participants aged between 18 and 54 across multiple countries, revealed that gigs have become the most popular form of entertainment, beating out athletic events, cinema and – yes – sex. When limited to a single form of entertainment forever, a significant portion chose concerts, against film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). The group was more than twice as inclined to choose seeing their favourite artist live (70%) instead of sex (30%).

You show up expecting to be delightfully amazed – and quite often you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Of course it makes sense that a PR survey conducted for a gig organizer might conclude so heavily preferring concerts – and, in the freewheeling tone of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, such as a legendary singer, you can see why attending his concert might win out rather than a common or garden situation. However this binary choice between concerts or sex, plainly ridiculous though it may be, is noteworthy to think about amid the peculiar point we face with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Gig Attendance

In recent years, live music participation has evolved into more than a group event but a intense competition. Event companies rightly note that arena crowds has “grown significantly each year”, and festivals get booked up faster than ever. Simply getting passes now demands extensive preparation, instant reactions and bottomless pockets (or a generous credit card limit). Though you succeed, it isn't sufficient to merely attend and watch the performance. Nowadays exists an anticipation, at least among music enthusiasts, that you might enhance your experience quality by seeing several shows (including overseas trips), studying the performance lineup beforehand and knowing your marks to follow and calls-and-responses developed through previous crowds.

Many attendees report feeling affected by their experience at popular events: what seemed like a scripted production of huge audiences, in which certain attendees came unaware of the steps. That 18-month tour, producing huge revenue, was proof of the extents that people will go to participate in a significant event and see their favourite artist perform, although the actual music grows somewhat secondary to the show.

The Situation of Current Relationships

Sex, conversely – a relatively cheap and common experience – experiences challenging circumstances. According to modern research, about a quarter of individuals were intimate in an regular period, while nearly 30% were abstaining. In another major country, modern figures revealed that more than 25% of adults said they had not sex a single time in the past year, increasing from smaller percentages in previous decades. In these areas, the shift has been linked to decreased encounters in youth demographics. Contrast this with the sector driving growth for large concerts and the intense rivalry for tickets. Naturally it's more complicated as a straightforward choice between one or the other – “would you rather see a major tour multiple times, or stay celibate?” – but it’s perhaps an indication of how people see the more consistent pleasure.

Unexpected Similarities

Sex and live music are closer aligned than one may assume. Each symbolizes the commencement of a relationship, a practical trial of ideas or possibility that might have amassed only in your head. You arrive with some idea of how it’s likely to go, but expecting to be happily shocked – and how it ends up satisfying or frustrating rests largely on if your enthusiasm and anticipations correspond with partners. Quite often you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth, and later be lingering for a smoke and some quiet time on your own. And, in both cases, substances and drinks can sometimes improve or detract from the event (but certainly help the most unpleasant experiences more bearable).

Seeking Harmony

The wonder to live events and relationships relies on locating that elusive sweet spot between the known and the new, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Naturally it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the understanding that it can happen, that motivates us to try again: to {