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Picture being gifted with a open night. You're feeling refreshed, ready for adventure, and hoping to shake up your regular habits of post-work slumping. The world is your oyster! Would you prefer a) attending a concert or b) having sex? The answer, as frequently true with these types of queries, is clearly: “It varies.” Mature individuals may reasonably inquire: what's the gig? Who is the companion? Could it be likely to be good?

Hardly anyone would select a heavy metal lineup if the choice was one enchanted evening with a favorite star. However tweak any part of the comparison, and it turns less clearcut. For the thousands surveyed presented with this choice by a major concert promoter, no such clarification was given – and the response came out clearly and heavily preferring gigs.

Study Data Reveal Surprising Preferences

A global survey, interviewing a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 from different nations, showed that gigs currently stand as the number one form of entertainment, ranking above athletic events, movies and – absolutely – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to a single form of enjoyment permanently, nearly four in ten picked live music, against going to the cinema (17%) and games (14%). The group was over two times as likely to prefer watching their top musician in concert (70%) over sex (30%).

You show up hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and frequently you might find with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it makes sense that a marketing research carried out for a gig organizer might conclude so overwhelmingly supporting gigs – and, with the speculative spirit of a would-you-rather, if your top performer is, such as an iconic star, one can appreciate why watching him could prevail rather than a routine experience. Yet this two-option scenario between concerts or sexual activity, obviously silly as it is, is interesting to consider given the odd point we’re at with both.

The Transformation of Live Music Experience

Over the past few years, concert attendance has evolved into more than a shared activity but a competitive sport. Event companies rightly note that stadium attendance has “increased threefold year-over-year”, and festivals sell out quicker than before. Merely acquiring admissions now needs military-level planning, quick decision-making and deep finances (or a substantial budget). Though you manage, it’s not enough to simply turn up and watch the performance. There’s now an anticipation, at least among pop fans, that you might enhance your experience quality by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), swotting up on the performance lineup ahead of time and knowing your marks to perform and audience interactions established by earlier audiences.

Numerous concertgoers report feeling shaken by their experience at popular events: what felt like a scripted production of massive crowds, to which some individuals turned up not knowing the protocol. Those lengthy event, earning massive sums, showed of the lengths to which people will go to feel part of a significant event and watch their preferred performer play, even if the actual music grows somewhat less important than the show.

The State of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, by contrast – an affordable and available enjoyment – experiences difficult times. According to contemporary studies, approximately 25% of individuals were intimate in an regular period, while about three in ten were sexually inactive. In another major country, modern figures revealed that more than 25% of adults admitted to avoiding intimacy at all in the last twelve months, rising from fewer people in previous decades. Across these regions, the change has been linked to reduced intimacy in youth demographics. Compare this with the industry booming for stadium extravaganzas and the fierce battle for tickets. Naturally it's more complicated as a straightforward choice between either option – “do you prefer experience a popular event often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it might be an sign of how people see the more consistent pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Relationships and gigs are more similar than people often believe. They both embody the initiation of a connection, a real-world test of ideas or possibility that may have developed only in your head. You arrive with a basic expectation of how it’s likely to go, but expecting to be delightfully amazed – and whether it proves satisfying or frustrating depends very much on how your vibe and expectations correspond with partners. Quite often you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and later be waiting around for a smoke and a moment alone on your own. And, in both cases, stimulants and beverages can sometimes improve or lessen the experience (but certainly help the most dire situations more bearable).

Finding the Balance

The appeal to live events and relationships relies on finding that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, consistency and change, work and relaxation. Certainly it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of when it worked, the knowledge that it can happen, that drives us to attempt once more: to {