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Picture having a free evening. You are energized, ready for adventure, and looking to break from your regular habits of evening scrolling. Life itself is your oyster! Could you choose a) seeing live music or b) being with a partner? The outcome, as frequently seen with these sorts of queries, is clearly: “It varies.” Mature individuals could understandably wonder: what is the gig? With whom is the other person? Is it likely to be enjoyable?

Hardly anyone would pick a intense rock concert if the other option was a dream date with a favorite star. But adjust one side of the comparison, and it turns more complicated. In the case of the participants presented with this choice through a live event company, no such clarification was offered – and the answer came out clearly and strongly in favour of gigs.

Survey Results Indicate Unexpected Preferences

A global report, questioning 40,000 people ranging from 18 and 54 across 15 markets, found that gigs are now the world’s top form of entertainment, ranking above athletic events, movies and – yes – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to a single form of entertainment permanently, 39% of respondents selected live music, versus film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). The group was over two times as prone to prefer seeing their favourite artist on stage (70%) over sex (30%).

You arrive anticipating happily shocked – and frequently you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth

Perspectives and Analysis

Naturally it makes sense that a marketing research commissioned by a live event company should come out so heavily preferring live shows – and, amid the playful mood of a would-you-rather, if your favourite artist is, say an iconic star, you can see why watching him may be chosen instead of a routine encounter. However this either-or decision between concerts or intimacy, obviously silly even if it seems, is noteworthy to reflect on considering the strange moment we’re at with both.

The Transformation of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, gig-going has evolved into more than a group event but a intense competition. Live organizations duly point out that stadium attendance has “increased threefold each year”, and live events are fully reserved more rapidly than previously. Just obtaining passes now needs detailed strategy, instant reactions and significant funds (or a high spending capacity). Though you’re successful, it isn't sufficient to merely attend and watch the performance. There’s now an anticipation, especially for concertgoers, that you can boost your enjoyment value by seeing several shows (even travelling internationally), studying the set list in advance and memorizing the cues to hit and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Several fans describe being scarred by their attendance at major tours: what felt like a choreographed performance of massive crowds, in which some individuals came unaware of the protocol. Those lengthy event, generating billions, was proof of the extents that fans will travel to participate in a significant event and experience their top musician sing, although the real performance appears more and more less important than the production.

The Situation of Modern Intimacy

Intimacy, on the other hand – an accessible and available enjoyment – experiences dire straits. Per contemporary studies, nearly one in four of individuals engaged sexually in an average week, while just under a third were abstaining. In another major country, modern figures revealed that over a quarter of adults reported not having intimacy even once in the last twelve months, increasing from lower numbers in the past. Across these regions, the shift has been attributed to less sexual activity among younger people. Compare this with the sector expanding rapidly for major events and the intense rivalry for tickets. Of course it's more complicated as a straightforward choice between one or the other – “could you choose attend a huge concert multiple times, or stay celibate?” – but it's possibly an sign of how people see the more consistent enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Relationships and gigs are closer aligned than one may assume. They both embody the commencement of a relationship, a real-world test of expectations or promise that could have built just in your mind. You come with some idea of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and whether it proves good or bad depends very much on if your enthusiasm and anticipations match theirs. Quite often you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and afterwards be waiting around for a smoke and personal space alone. And, in both cases, drugs and alcohol can sometimes improve or reduce the experience (but absolutely assist the worst experiences simpler to handle).

Achieving Equilibrium

The magic to concerts and intimacy hinges on finding that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Naturally it happens only rarely – but it's the recollection of when they did, the understanding that success is achievable, that motivates us to give it another shot: to {