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Envision having a open night. You are refreshed, ready for adventure, and looking to break from your typical schedule of post-work slumping. Your options is your oyster! Do you opt for a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The answer, as is often seen with these types of hypotheticals, is plainly: “It varies.” Mature individuals may reasonably inquire: what is the gig? Who's the other person? Is it going to be satisfying?

Not many would select a heavy metal lineup if the choice was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. However tweak either end of the scenario, and it grows less obvious. For the 40,000 people presented with this choice by a live event company, no additional context was given – and the result emerged clearly and overwhelmingly in favour of concerts.

Research Findings Indicate Surprising Trends

A worldwide study, questioning a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 in multiple countries, showed that concerts currently stand as the most popular form of entertainment, surpassing athletic events, films and – yes – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to one type of activity for the rest of their lives, nearly four in ten chose live music, against film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). Participants were significantly more as inclined to select seeing their favourite artist live (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

You show up anticipating happily shocked – and frequently you might find with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Perspectives and Analysis

Of course it’s not surprising that a marketing research commissioned by a live event company would result so overwhelmingly preferring concerts – and, amid the playful tone of a either-or question, if your top performer is, say an iconic star, you can see why attending his concert could prevail rather than a routine experience. However this binary choice between concerts or intimacy, obviously silly even if it seems, is fascinating to reflect on amid the peculiar point we’re at with both.

The Evolution of Concert Culture

In recent years, live music participation has evolved into more than a group event but a intense competition. Event companies duly point out that large venue turnout has “grown significantly annually”, and live events sell out faster than ever. Merely acquiring admissions now needs military-level planning, quick decision-making and significant funds (or a generous credit card limit). Although you succeed, it’s not enough to merely attend and enjoy the show. Currently there is an anticipation, particularly with concertgoers, that you might enhance your return on investment by attending more than once (potentially going abroad), studying the song selection beforehand and understanding the rituals to hit and fan traditions created by previous crowds.

Many fans describe being shaken by their participation at large concerts: what seemed like a scripted production of huge audiences, where particular fans turned up not knowing the routine. That 18-month concert series, earning massive sums, was proof of the degree to which attendees will push to feel part of a cultural moment and see their favourite artist play, though the actual music appears more and more less important than the production.

The Situation of Current Relationships

Intimacy, conversely – an accessible and common experience – faces dire straits. Per modern research, about a quarter of people engaged sexually in an regular period, while nearly 30% were not engaging. In a different nation, current statistics indicated that more than 25% of people admitted to avoiding intimacy a single time in the last twelve months, rising from fewer people in previous decades. In these areas, the trend has been attributed to less sexual activity with younger generations. Juxtapose this with the industry booming for major events and the cutthroat competition for passes. Certainly it's more complicated as a straightforward choice between either option – “do you prefer attend a huge concert often, or stay celibate?” – but it might be an sign of what is viewed as the more dependable pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Sex and live music are more comparable than one may assume. Both represent the commencement of a connection, a real-world test of impressions or potential that may have developed solely in your imagination. You arrive with a general notion of how it’s likely to go, but anticipating pleasantly surprised – and how it ends up good or bad rests largely on whether your energy and anticipations correspond with partners. Frequently you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and afterwards be hanging out for a cigarette and some quiet time by yourself. And, in both cases, drugs and alcohol can potentially heighten or detract from the situation (but definitely make the worst situations easier to weather).

Achieving Equilibrium

The appeal to live events and relationships hinges on finding that hard-to-find balance between familiarity and novelty, similarity and difference, effort and ease. Certainly it happens only rarely – but it's the recollection of when it worked, the understanding that it can happen, that inspires us to give it another shot: to {