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Picture being gifted with a open night. You feel energized, eager for new things, and looking to break from your typical schedule of post-work slumping. Your options offers possibilities! Do you choose a) attending a concert or b) having sex? The outcome, as typically seen with these types of queries, is plainly: “It varies.” Reasonable people could understandably ask: what is the gig? With whom is the other person? Is it expected to be satisfying?

Few would choose a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the choice was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust one side of the equation, and it turns less clearcut. Regarding the 40,000 people posed this query by a live event company, no such context was offered – and the answer emerged clearly and overwhelmingly preferring live music events.

Survey Results Reveal Interesting Preferences

A global survey, questioning a large sample from 18 and 54 in 15 markets, revealed that live music currently stand as the world’s top leisure activity, ranking above athletic events, cinema and – absolutely – sex. When limited to only one option of activity for the rest of their lives, a significant portion picked live music, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and games (14%). They were also significantly more as prone to select attending their preferred performer on stage (70%) rather than sexual activity (30%).

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

Perspectives and Analysis

Naturally it’s not surprising that a marketing research commissioned by a live event company would result so heavily preferring live shows – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your favourite artist is, such as Paul McCartney, you can see why seeing him might win out rather than a routine situation. However this either-or decision between live music or sex, plainly ridiculous as it is, is noteworthy to think about amid the peculiar juncture we experience with these two aspects.

The Change of Gig Attendance

In recent years, gig-going has grown beyond a shared activity but a competitive sport. Live organizations rightly note that arena crowds has “tripled year-over-year”, and music festivals sell out faster than ever. Just obtaining admissions now needs detailed strategy, quick decision-making and significant funds (or a high spending capacity). Even if you manage, that alone won't do to simply turn up and enjoy the show. There’s now an expectation, especially for concertgoers, that you can boost your return on investment by seeing several shows (potentially going abroad), learning the performance lineup beforehand and knowing your marks to hit and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Several fans report feeling shaken by their experience at large concerts: appearing as a choreographed performance of huge audiences, where particular fans turned up unaware of the routine. The extended event, earning massive sums, demonstrated of the lengths to which attendees will push to experience a cultural moment and experience their top musician sing, although the actual music seems increasingly secondary to the spectacle.

The Condition of Contemporary Sexuality

Sexual activity, on the other hand – an accessible and accessible pleasure – experiences challenging circumstances. Per modern research, nearly one in four of adults were intimate in an average week, while just under a third were sexually inactive. In a different nation, current statistics showed that more than 25% of people admitted to avoiding intimacy even once in the past year, increasing from lower numbers in earlier years. In these areas, the shift has been associated with less sexual activity with younger generations. Compare this with the industry driving growth for major events and the cutthroat competition for admissions. Naturally it isn't straightforward as a basic option between either option – “could you choose attend a huge concert repeatedly, or remain abstinent?” – but it's possibly an sign of what is viewed as the more dependable pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Relationships and gigs are more similar than you might think. Each symbolizes the initiation of a bond, a real-world test of ideas or possibility that could have built just in your mind. You arrive with a basic expectation of what might happen, but hopeful of being happily shocked – and whether it proves satisfying or frustrating depends very much on if your enthusiasm and anticipations correspond with partners. Regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and afterwards be waiting around for a cigarette and personal space by yourself. And, in both cases, substances and drinks can potentially heighten or lessen the experience (but definitely make the most dire occasions more bearable).

Achieving Equilibrium

The appeal to concerts and intimacy relies on finding that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, sameness and variation, work and relaxation. Of course it occurs infrequently – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the awareness that success is achievable, that motivates us to give it another shot: to {