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Picture having a open night. You're feeling rejuvenated, open to experience, and looking to break from your regular habits of relaxing at home. Your options is your oyster! Do you choose a) attending a concert or b) having sex? The answer, as typically seen with these types of hypotheticals, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults could understandably wonder: what kind of the concert? Who's the partner? Will it be expected to be enjoyable?

Not many 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 equation, and it becomes less obvious. In the case of the 40,000 people presented with this choice from a live event company, no additional details was provided – and the result emerged decisively and overwhelmingly in favour of gigs.

Study Data Show Interesting Choices

An international study, interviewing 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 across multiple countries, revealed that concerts currently stand as the most popular leisure activity, beating out athletic events, cinema and – indeed – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to only one option of activity permanently, 39% of respondents chose gigs, compared to film attendance (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). Participants were more than twice as likely to select watching their top musician in concert (70%) over sexual activity (30%).

You arrive hopeful of being delightfully amazed – and regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Of course it's expected that a promotional study commissioned by a concert promoter should come out so heavily in favour of gigs – and, with the speculative spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your preferred musician is, for example an iconic star, one can appreciate why attending his concert may be chosen over a ordinary experience. But this either-or decision between gigs or sex, obviously silly as it is, is interesting to reflect on considering the strange juncture we face with both.

The Change of Gig Attendance

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 “increased threefold year-over-year”, and festivals are fully reserved more rapidly than previously. Merely acquiring tickets now needs detailed strategy, instant reactions and significant funds (or a substantial budget). Even if you succeed, that alone won't do to merely attend and experience the event. Currently there is an anticipation, particularly with pop fans, that you might enhance your enjoyment value by seeing several shows (even travelling internationally), studying the set list beforehand and understanding the rituals to follow and audience interactions established by previous crowds.

Numerous attendees describe being shaken by their participation at major tours: appearing as a scripted production of huge audiences, where certain attendees turned up unfamiliar with the protocol. Those lengthy tour, producing huge revenue, demonstrated of the degree to which attendees will push to participate in a historic occasion and watch their preferred performer play, although the live sound grows somewhat overshadowed by the production.

The State of Contemporary Sexuality

Sex, by contrast – an accessible and accessible pleasure – is in difficult times. Per contemporary studies, approximately 25% of individuals engaged sexually in an average week, while just under a third were not engaging. In a different nation, modern figures revealed that over a quarter of people reported not having intimacy a single time in the past year, rising from fewer people in earlier years. Across these regions, the shift has been attributed to less sexual activity with younger generations. Compare this with the industry driving growth for stadium extravaganzas and the intense rivalry for passes. Certainly it's more complicated as a simple decision between either option – “do you prefer attend a huge concert often, or stay celibate?” – but it might be an signal of how people see the more reliable enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Relationships and gigs are closer aligned than one may assume. Each symbolizes the commencement of a relationship, a real-world test of ideas or possibility that may have developed just in your mind. You show up with a general notion of the probable outcome, but anticipating pleasantly surprised – and if it turns out good or bad depends very much on whether your energy and hopes align with others. Regularly you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth, and following be hanging out for a break and personal space alone. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can either enhance or lessen the experience (but definitely make the most unpleasant experiences easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The wonder to live events and relationships depends on locating that perfect combination between the known and the new, sameness and variation, challenge and comfort. Naturally it's uncommon – but it's the remembrance of when they did, the awareness that it’s possible, that motivates us to attempt once more: to {