A Night to Remember: Is Attending Gigs Truly Preferred Over Sex?

Imagine finding yourself with a free evening. You feel rejuvenated, ready for adventure, and looking to change your typical schedule of post-work slumping. Your options is your oyster! Would you opt for a) attending a concert or b) having sex? The outcome, as frequently true with these types of questions, is plainly: “It varies.” Mature individuals could understandably inquire: what's the concert? Who is the other person? Is it likely to be good?

Hardly anyone would select a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust one side of the scenario, and it turns more complicated. For the 40,000 people posed this query through a major concert promoter, no additional details was given – and the result was revealed unambiguously and heavily preferring gigs.

Survey Results Reveal Unexpected Trends

A worldwide survey, interviewing 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 across different nations, found that live music currently stand as the most popular leisure activity, ranking above sports, movies and – yes – sexual intercourse. When limited to a single form of entertainment permanently, 39% of respondents selected gigs, compared to watching movies (17%) and games (14%). Participants were significantly more as prone to prefer watching their top musician on stage (70%) instead of sex (30%).

You arrive hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and regularly you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Of course it’s not surprising that a PR survey conducted for a gig organizer might conclude so strongly preferring live shows – and, with the speculative tone of a either-or question, if your top performer is, say a legendary singer, you can see why attending his concert could prevail over a common or garden encounter. However this either-or decision between gigs or intimacy, plainly ridiculous though it may be, is fascinating to consider amid the peculiar juncture we’re at with both.

The Transformation of Gig Attendance

Over the past few years, live music participation has evolved into more than a communal experience but a serious endeavor. Major promoters duly point out that stadium attendance has “tripled year-over-year”, and festivals get booked up quicker than before. Simply getting admissions now requires extensive preparation, quick decision-making and significant funds (or a generous credit card limit). Even if you’re successful, it’s not enough to just show up and enjoy the show. Nowadays exists an assumption, particularly with concertgoers, that you can boost your return on investment by attending more than once (including overseas trips), learning the song selection beforehand and understanding the rituals to follow and calls-and-responses developed through earlier audiences.

Several fans describe being affected by their participation at popular events: what felt like a choreographed performance of thousands of people, where particular fans arrived unaware of the routine. That 18-month event, producing huge revenue, showed of the lengths to which attendees will push to feel part of a cultural moment and experience their top musician sing, although the actual music grows somewhat secondary to the production.

The Situation of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, by contrast – an accessible and common experience – faces dire straits. Per modern research, nearly one in four of adults had sex in an regular period, while nearly 30% were abstaining. In a different nation, modern figures showed that a significant portion of individuals reported not having sexual activity a single time in the previous year, increasing from lower numbers in earlier years. In these areas, the change has been associated with reduced intimacy with younger generations. Contrast this with the industry driving growth for major events and the fierce battle for passes. Of course it isn't straightforward as a straightforward choice between one or the other – “would you rather see a major tour often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it might be an signal of what is viewed as the more dependable enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Sex and live music are more similar than people often believe. They both embody the initiation of a bond, a real-world test of impressions or possibility that might have amassed just in your mind. You arrive with a general notion of how it’s likely to go, but anticipating delightfully amazed – and if it turns out enjoyable or disappointing relies heavily on whether your energy and anticipations align with others. Regularly you might find with another person's locks in your mouth, and later be lingering for a break and some quiet time on your own. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can potentially heighten or detract from the situation (but certainly help the most dire situations 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, effort and ease. Of course it happens only rarely – but it’s the memory of when it worked, the knowledge that success is achievable, that motivates us to give it another shot: to {