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Envision having a open night. You feel energized, ready for adventure, and wanting to shake up your usual routine of post-work slumping. Your options offers possibilities! Would you opt for a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The answer, as typically seen with these types of questions, is obviously: “That depends.” Thinking adults may reasonably wonder: what is the gig? Who is the other person? Will it be going to be good?

Few would pick a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the choice was a dream date with a beloved celebrity. Yet change any part of the comparison, and it grows less clearcut. For the participants asked this question by a live event company, no additional clarification was provided – and the response came out unambiguously and heavily in favour of gigs.

Survey Results Show Surprising Trends

A worldwide study, interviewing a large sample aged between 18 and 54 across different nations, found that live music have become the most popular form of entertainment, ranking above sports, films and – absolutely – sex. When limited to a single form of entertainment forever, nearly four in ten picked live music, against going to the cinema (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). They were also significantly more as inclined to select attending their preferred performer in concert (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

You appear expecting to be delightfully amazed – and frequently you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Certainly it's expected that a promotional study carried out for a concert promoter might conclude so heavily supporting concerts – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your top performer is, such as a legendary singer, one can appreciate why watching him may be chosen instead of a common or garden encounter. But this binary choice between gigs or sex, plainly ridiculous as it is, is noteworthy to think about given the odd juncture we face with each.

The Change of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, gig-going has become not just a shared activity but a serious endeavor. Live organizations rightly note that stadium attendance has “increased threefold year-over-year”, and festivals sell out more rapidly than previously. Just obtaining admissions now requires detailed strategy, instant reactions and significant funds (or a high spending capacity). Though you’re successful, it isn't sufficient to just show up and enjoy the show. Nowadays exists an assumption, at least among pop fans, that you can boost your experience quality by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), swotting up on the song selection beforehand and understanding the rituals to follow and audience interactions established by earlier audiences.

Numerous fans report feeling scarred by their experience at popular events: what felt like a scripted production of thousands of people, where some individuals arrived unaware of the routine. Those lengthy tour, generating billions, showed of the degree to which people will go to feel part of a cultural moment and experience their top musician perform, even if the live sound appears more and more secondary to the show.

The Situation of Modern Intimacy

Sexual activity, on the other hand – a relatively cheap and common experience – is in challenging circumstances. According to contemporary studies, about a quarter of individuals had sex in an regular period, while just under a third were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, current statistics showed that more than 25% of individuals said they had not sex even once in the previous year, rising from lower numbers in the past. In both territories, the shift has been linked to less sexual activity in youth demographics. Juxtapose this with the sector driving growth for stadium extravaganzas and the fierce battle for tickets. Naturally it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between one or the other – “could you choose experience a popular event often, or remain abstinent?” – but it's possibly an signal of which is perceived as the more reliable enjoyment.

Interesting Comparisons

Relationships and gigs are more similar than you might think. Each symbolizes the activation of a bond, a practical trial of ideas or promise that may have developed only in your head. You arrive with some idea of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and if it turns out satisfying or frustrating rests largely on how your vibe and expectations align with others. Quite often you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and following be waiting around for a break and some quiet time by yourself. Similarly for each, stimulants and beverages can either enhance or lessen the situation (but certainly help the worst occasions easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The appeal to both gigs and sex hinges on locating that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, sameness and variation, work and relaxation. Naturally it occurs infrequently – but it's the remembrance of when they did, the awareness that it’s possible, that motivates us to try again: to {