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Envision having a open night. You feel rejuvenated, open to experience, and hoping to break from your regular habits of relaxing at home. The world offers possibilities! Would you prefer a) seeing live music or b) having sex? The response, as frequently the case with such kinds of questions, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults might logically ask: what is the gig? Who's the companion? Will it be expected to be satisfying?

Hardly anyone would pick a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. But adjust any part of the comparison, and it becomes less clearcut. Regarding the participants posed this query through a major concert promoter, no such context was offered – and the answer was revealed decisively and heavily preferring concerts.

Research Findings Show Surprising Trends

A worldwide report, interviewing thousands of participants ranging from 18 and 54 across different nations, showed that gigs have become the number one form of entertainment, beating out sports, cinema and – indeed – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to only one option of activity permanently, nearly four in ten selected gigs, against film attendance (17%) and games (14%). They were also significantly more as inclined to choose attending their preferred performer in concert (70%) rather than sexual activity (30%).

You show up expecting to be delightfully amazed – and frequently you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it’s not surprising that a promotional study conducted for a live event company might conclude so overwhelmingly preferring gigs – and, amid the playful mood of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, for example an iconic star, one can appreciate why attending his concert may be chosen instead of a routine experience. However this two-option scenario between live music or intimacy, plainly ridiculous as it is, is noteworthy to reflect on amid the peculiar juncture we face with each.

The Change of Concert Culture

Lately, live music participation has evolved into more than a shared activity but a intense competition. Major promoters appropriately highlight that large venue turnout has “grown significantly year-over-year”, and music festivals sell out faster than ever. Just obtaining tickets now demands detailed strategy, quick decision-making and deep finances (or a generous credit card limit). Although you succeed, it isn't sufficient to simply turn up and watch the performance. Nowadays exists an expectation, at least among music enthusiasts, that you could increase your experience quality by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), learning the song selection ahead of time and understanding the rituals to follow and calls-and-responses created by past attendees.

Several concertgoers describe being affected by their participation at large concerts: appearing as a choreographed performance of huge audiences, where certain attendees came unfamiliar with the steps. That 18-month event, earning massive sums, was proof of the extents that attendees will push to participate in a significant event and experience their top musician sing, although the real performance grows somewhat overshadowed by the spectacle.

The State of Current Relationships

Sex, by contrast – an affordable and common experience – is in difficult times. According to modern research, nearly one in four of adults were intimate in an typical week, while about three in ten were not engaging. In another major country, modern figures revealed that a significant portion of adults reported not having intimacy even once in the previous year, increasing from fewer people in the past. Across these regions, the trend has been linked to decreased encounters in youth demographics. Compare this with the market driving growth for large concerts and the fierce battle for tickets. Certainly it’s not as simple as a basic option between either option – “could you choose attend a huge concert repeatedly, or remain abstinent?” – but it might be an indication of what is viewed as the more dependable enjoyment.

Unexpected Similarities

Relationships and gigs are more similar than people often believe. They both embody the commencement of a relationship, a actual experience of impressions or potential that could have built only in your head. You show up with a general notion of the probable outcome, but expecting to be happily shocked – and if it turns out good or bad depends very much on if your enthusiasm and expectations correspond with partners. Frequently you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and following be lingering for a break and personal space on your own. Likewise with either, drugs and alcohol can potentially heighten or detract from the event (but definitely make the worst situations simpler to handle).

Finding the Balance

The wonder to live events and relationships depends on finding that hard-to-find balance between familiarity and novelty, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Naturally it occurs infrequently – but it's the remembrance of when it worked, the knowledge that it can happen, that inspires us to try again: to {