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Picture finding yourself with a night off. You are energized, eager for new things, and wanting to break from your regular habits of evening scrolling. Life itself awaits your choice! Do you opt for a) seeing live music or b) engaging in intimacy? The response, as frequently seen with these types of queries, is obviously: “That depends.” Mature individuals might logically inquire: what kind of the show? With whom is the companion? Will it be going to be good?

Few would select a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust any part of the comparison, and it grows less clearcut. For the thousands surveyed asked this question through a live event company, no additional context was provided – and the answer emerged decisively and overwhelmingly in favour of gigs.

Survey Results Show Interesting Choices

A worldwide report, polling thousands of participants ranging from 18 and 54 across 15 markets, showed that live music are now the world’s top pastime, surpassing games, cinema and – absolutely – sex. Given the choice to one type of activity permanently, a significant portion selected live music, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). Participants were over two times as prone to select attending their preferred performer on stage (70%) over sex (30%).

You appear hopeful of being happily shocked – and regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it's expected that a PR survey conducted for a concert promoter might conclude so heavily supporting gigs – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a would-you-rather, if your favourite artist is, for example an iconic star, you can see why seeing him might win out instead of a common or garden situation. But this two-option scenario between live music or sex, obviously silly as it is, is noteworthy to think about amid the peculiar moment we’re at with both.

The Change of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, concert attendance has evolved into more than a shared activity but a competitive sport. Event companies duly point out that arena crowds has “increased threefold each year”, and live events are fully reserved quicker than before. Just obtaining tickets now demands military-level planning, quick decision-making and deep finances (or a generous credit card limit). Though you manage, it isn't sufficient to merely attend and experience the event. Nowadays exists an anticipation, especially for pop fans, that you could increase your enjoyment value by seeing several shows (potentially going abroad), studying the song selection in advance and understanding the rituals to follow and calls-and-responses developed through past attendees.

Many fans report feeling shaken by their attendance at popular events: what seemed like a orchestrated show of thousands of people, to which certain attendees arrived unfamiliar with the steps. Those lengthy tour, earning massive sums, demonstrated of the extents that people will go to participate in a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer sing, even if the live sound grows somewhat overshadowed by the show.

The Situation of Modern Intimacy

Sex, conversely – an accessible and common experience – experiences challenging circumstances. According to modern research, approximately 25% of adults were intimate in an regular period, while about three in ten were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, current statistics showed that over a quarter of people admitted to avoiding sexual activity even once in the previous year, increasing from lower numbers in earlier years. Across these regions, the change has been linked to reduced intimacy among younger people. Juxtapose this with the sector booming for large concerts and the cutthroat competition for passes. Naturally it's more complicated as a straightforward choice between both alternatives – “do you prefer experience a popular event often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it might be an indication of which is perceived as the more reliable enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more similar than people often believe. Each symbolizes the initiation of a bond, a real-world test of impressions or promise that could have built just in your mind. You arrive with a basic expectation of what might happen, but expecting to be pleasantly surprised – and if it turns out satisfying or frustrating depends very much on how your vibe and expectations correspond with partners. Frequently you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth, and afterwards be lingering for a break and some quiet time alone. And, in both cases, drugs and alcohol can sometimes improve or reduce the situation (but definitely make the most unpleasant experiences simpler to handle).

Finding the Balance

The magic to live events and relationships hinges on discovering that perfect combination between familiarity and novelty, sameness and variation, challenge and comfort. Certainly it happens only rarely – but it's the remembrance of successful moments, the awareness that success is achievable, that inspires us to try again: to {