A Night Out to Remember: Is Live Music Really Favored More Than Sex?

Envision being gifted with a open night. You are energized, eager for new things, and hoping to break from your typical schedule of relaxing at home. Your options offers possibilities! Could you choose a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The response, as typically the case with such kinds of hypotheticals, is plainly: “It varies.” Thinking adults could understandably inquire: what's the concert? Who's the other person? Is it going to be satisfying?

Not many would select a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the other option was a dream date with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust one side of the scenario, and it becomes less obvious. Regarding the thousands surveyed posed this query from a major concert promoter, no additional details was given – and the answer came out decisively and heavily supporting live music events.

Research Findings Show Unexpected Preferences

A global study, interviewing a large sample from 18 and 54 from 15 markets, showed that concerts currently stand as the number one pastime, ranking above athletic events, cinema and – yes – intimacy. If restricted to one type of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, nearly four in ten selected gigs, versus going to the cinema (17%) and games (14%). Participants were more than twice as likely to select watching their top musician in concert (70%) over intimacy (30%).

You arrive expecting to be pleasantly surprised – and regularly you might find with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Of course it's expected that a marketing research conducted for a gig organizer might conclude so overwhelmingly in favour of live shows – and, with the speculative spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your top performer is, say a legendary singer, you can see why watching him might win out instead of a routine experience. But this two-option scenario between concerts or sex, plainly ridiculous even if it seems, is fascinating to consider amid the peculiar moment we experience with each.

The Transformation of Live Music Experience

In recent years, concert attendance has become not just a communal experience but a competitive sport. Live organizations rightly note that arena crowds has “increased threefold annually”, and festivals sell out more rapidly than previously. Just obtaining tickets now needs detailed strategy, quick decision-making and significant funds (or a substantial budget). Though you manage, it isn't sufficient to simply turn up and experience the event. There’s now an anticipation, particularly with concertgoers, that you might enhance your return on investment by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), swotting up on the song selection in advance and knowing your marks to hit and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Many fans describe being scarred by their participation at large concerts: what felt like a choreographed performance of huge audiences, to which certain attendees turned up unfamiliar with the steps. That 18-month concert series, earning massive sums, showed of the lengths to which people will go to participate in a significant event and see their favourite artist perform, even if the real performance appears more and more overshadowed by the spectacle.

The State of Contemporary Sexuality

Sexual activity, by contrast – an affordable and accessible pleasure – is in dire straits. According to recent surveys, about a quarter of people had sex in an typical week, while nearly 30% were not engaging. Elsewhere, modern figures indicated that a significant portion of adults admitted to avoiding intimacy a single time in the past year, up from smaller percentages in previous decades. In these areas, the shift has been attributed to less sexual activity among younger people. Contrast this with the sector driving growth for stadium extravaganzas and the cutthroat competition for passes. Certainly it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between both alternatives – “would you rather see a major tour often, or remain abstinent?” – but it might be an sign of what is viewed as the more consistent enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Intimacy and concerts are more similar than one may assume. They both embody the initiation of a bond, a actual experience of ideas or promise that may have developed only in your head. You show up with a general notion of how it’s likely to go, but expecting to be happily shocked – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing rests largely on how your vibe and expectations align with others. Regularly you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth, and following be lingering for a smoke and a moment alone on your own. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can sometimes improve or detract from the situation (but definitely make the worst situations more bearable).

Seeking Harmony

The wonder to concerts and intimacy hinges on discovering that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, sameness and variation, challenge and comfort. Naturally it happens only rarely – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the understanding that success is achievable, that inspires us to give it another shot: to {