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Envision having a night off. You are rejuvenated, open to experience, and wanting to break from your regular habits of relaxing at home. Your options is your oyster! Do you prefer a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The outcome, as is often true with such kinds of queries, is plainly: “It varies.” Reasonable people could understandably wonder: what is the gig? With whom is the companion? Will it be expected to be enjoyable?

Few would select a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a magical night with a favorite star. However tweak one side of the comparison, and it grows less clearcut. Regarding the 40,000 people presented with this choice by a gig organization, no such context was given – and the result was revealed clearly and strongly in favour of live music events.

Study Data Indicate Interesting Trends

A global report, interviewing thousands of participants aged between 18 and 54 in different nations, found that gigs have become the number one pastime, ranking above games, movies and – absolutely – intimacy. Given the choice to a single form of activity for the rest of their lives, 39% of respondents picked live music, versus going to the cinema (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). They were also significantly more as prone to select attending their preferred performer live (70%) instead of sex (30%).

You show up expecting to be delightfully amazed – and frequently you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it’s not surprising that a PR survey commissioned by a gig organizer might conclude so strongly preferring live shows – and, in the freewheeling mood of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, such as an iconic star, you can see why attending his concert could prevail instead of a ordinary encounter. Yet this either-or decision between gigs or sexual activity, obviously silly even if it seems, is interesting to consider given the odd juncture we experience with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Live Music Experience

Lately, gig-going has evolved into more than a group event but a intense competition. Major promoters rightly note that large venue turnout has “increased threefold year-over-year”, and festivals are fully reserved faster than ever. Merely acquiring passes now needs detailed strategy, instant reactions and significant funds (or a generous credit card limit). Although you’re successful, it’s not enough to simply turn up and enjoy the show. Currently there is an expectation, particularly with music enthusiasts, that you might enhance your return on investment by seeing several shows (including overseas trips), studying the performance lineup beforehand and knowing your marks to perform and fan traditions created by previous crowds.

Numerous attendees describe being scarred by their participation at popular events: appearing as a choreographed performance of thousands of people, in which certain attendees came unfamiliar with the protocol. Those lengthy tour, earning massive sums, showed of the lengths to which attendees will push to experience a significant event and see their favourite artist play, though the live sound appears more and more secondary to the show.

The Condition of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, on the other hand – an affordable and available enjoyment – experiences dire straits. Per contemporary studies, nearly one in four of people had sex in an typical week, while about three in ten were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, current statistics revealed that a significant portion of people reported not having sexual activity at all in the past year, increasing from fewer people in previous decades. Across these regions, the shift has been linked to reduced intimacy among younger people. Juxtapose this with the industry expanding rapidly for large concerts and the fierce battle for admissions. Certainly it's more complicated as a basic option between either option – “would you rather see a major tour often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it's possibly an signal of how people see the more consistent enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more comparable than you might think. Both represent the initiation of a connection, a practical trial of expectations or potential that might have amassed just in your mind. You arrive with a general notion of what might happen, but expecting to be delightfully amazed – and how it ends up good or bad relies heavily on if your enthusiasm and expectations correspond with partners. Frequently you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and later be lingering for a break and a moment alone by yourself. Similarly for each, drugs and alcohol can either enhance or lessen the experience (but definitely make the most dire occasions simpler to handle).

Achieving Equilibrium

The wonder to live events and relationships hinges on finding that elusive sweet spot between familiarity and novelty, similarity and difference, work and relaxation. Of course it's uncommon – but it's the recollection of successful moments, the awareness that success is achievable, that inspires us to attempt once more: to {