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Imagine being gifted with a open night. You are rejuvenated, open to experience, and wanting to change your usual routine of evening scrolling. The world is your oyster! Do you choose a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The answer, as frequently seen with such kinds of questions, is plainly: “It varies.” Reasonable people might logically ask: what is the gig? With whom is the partner? Is it going to be enjoyable?

Hardly anyone would pick a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the alternative was one enchanted evening with a favorite star. However tweak one side of the equation, and it becomes less obvious. In the case of the 40,000 people presented with this choice through a gig organization, no additional clarification was provided – and the response came out clearly and overwhelmingly supporting live music events.

Research Findings Show Interesting Preferences

A global survey, polling 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 from 15 markets, showed that gigs currently stand as the world’s top leisure activity, ranking above athletic events, films and – indeed – sexual intercourse. If restricted to only one option of entertainment forever, 39% of respondents selected concerts, compared to film attendance (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). They were also more than twice as likely to select attending their preferred performer in concert (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

You appear anticipating pleasantly surprised – and frequently you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Certainly it makes sense that a marketing research conducted for a concert promoter might conclude so overwhelmingly in favour of concerts – and, in the freewheeling mood of a hypothetical choice, if your favourite artist is, for example an iconic star, one can appreciate why seeing him may be chosen instead of a ordinary encounter. But this two-option scenario between gigs or sex, plainly ridiculous as it is, is noteworthy to consider given the odd juncture we’re at with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Concert Culture

Lately, live music participation has become not just a group event but a competitive sport. Event companies appropriately highlight that large venue turnout has “tripled each year”, and live events sell out faster than ever. Just obtaining tickets now needs detailed strategy, rapid-fire response times and deep finances (or a substantial budget). Although you succeed, that alone won't do to just show up and watch the performance. Currently there is an anticipation, at least among music enthusiasts, that you can boost your experience quality by attending more than once (even travelling internationally), studying the performance lineup ahead of time and knowing your marks to hit and audience interactions established by earlier audiences.

Several concertgoers describe being scarred by their participation at popular events: what seemed like a orchestrated show of massive crowds, where some individuals arrived unaware of the steps. That 18-month concert series, producing huge revenue, was proof of the extents that fans will travel to feel part of a significant event and watch their preferred performer perform, even if the real performance seems increasingly less important than the production.

The State of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, on the other hand – a relatively cheap and accessible pleasure – experiences dire straits. Based on recent surveys, nearly one in four of individuals were intimate in an regular period, while about three in ten were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, modern figures showed that a significant portion of individuals said they had not intimacy at all in the previous year, up from fewer people in earlier years. Across these regions, the trend has been associated with reduced intimacy among younger people. Contrast this with the sector driving growth for major events and the fierce battle for passes. Naturally it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between both alternatives – “would you rather see a major tour often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it’s perhaps an sign of what is viewed as the more dependable enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Relationships and gigs are more similar than one may assume. Each symbolizes the commencement of a relationship, a actual experience of ideas or promise that might have amassed only in your head. You arrive with a basic expectation of how it’s likely to go, but anticipating delightfully amazed – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing depends very much on if your enthusiasm and hopes correspond with partners. Regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and later be lingering for a break and some quiet time on your own. And, in both cases, stimulants and beverages can sometimes improve or lessen the situation (but certainly help the worst experiences easier to weather).

Achieving Equilibrium

The magic to concerts and intimacy depends on finding that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Naturally it occurs infrequently – but it’s the memory of when it worked, the knowledge that success is achievable, that motivates us to try again: to {