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Envision being gifted with a night off. You feel energized, open to experience, and looking to change your usual routine of post-work slumping. Your options is your oyster! Would you prefer a) seeing live music or b) having sex? The answer, as is often the case with such kinds of queries, is obviously: “That depends.” Reasonable people could understandably ask: what kind of the show? Who is the companion? Will it be going to be good?

Hardly anyone would pick a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the alternative was one enchanted evening with a favorite star. But adjust either end of the equation, and it becomes less clearcut. In the case of the thousands surveyed presented with this choice by a gig organization, no such context was given – and the result was revealed clearly and strongly supporting live music events.

Study Data Indicate Unexpected Preferences

A global survey, interviewing 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 from 15 markets, showed that concerts are now the world’s top pastime, ranking above sports, films and – absolutely – sexual intercourse. When limited to a single form of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, nearly four in ten selected concerts, compared to film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also more than twice as inclined to choose watching their top musician on stage (70%) instead of sexual activity (30%).

You show up anticipating delightfully amazed – and regularly you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Of course it makes sense that a promotional study carried out for a gig organizer would result so overwhelmingly supporting gigs – and, with the speculative mood of a hypothetical choice, if your favourite artist is, such as Paul McCartney, one can appreciate why attending his concert may be chosen over a routine experience. But this either-or decision between concerts or sexual activity, obviously silly though it may be, is fascinating to reflect on considering the strange point we face with these two aspects.

The Change of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, concert attendance has grown beyond a shared activity but a intense competition. Major promoters appropriately highlight that stadium attendance has “tripled year-over-year”, and live events sell out quicker than before. Just obtaining passes now demands extensive preparation, instant reactions and significant funds (or a substantial budget). Even if you’re successful, that alone won't do to simply turn up and experience the event. Currently there is an expectation, at least among concertgoers, that you can boost your return on investment by going multiple times (potentially going abroad), studying the performance lineup ahead of time and understanding the rituals to follow and audience interactions developed through previous crowds.

Several concertgoers describe being shaken by their participation at major tours: what seemed like a scripted production of thousands of people, where some individuals arrived not knowing the routine. The extended event, producing huge revenue, showed of the lengths to which people will go to experience a significant event and see their favourite artist perform, though the actual music seems increasingly overshadowed by the show.

The Situation of Modern Intimacy

Sexual activity, by contrast – a relatively cheap and available enjoyment – experiences difficult times. Based on modern research, nearly one in four of adults had sex in an average week, while just under a third were abstaining. In a different nation, current statistics indicated that more than 25% of individuals said they had not sexual activity even once in the previous year, increasing from fewer people in the past. Across these regions, the change has been associated with reduced intimacy in youth demographics. Juxtapose this with the market expanding rapidly for large concerts and the intense rivalry for admissions. Of course it isn't straightforward as a simple decision between either option – “do you prefer attend a huge concert multiple times, or stay celibate?” – but it's possibly an signal of what is viewed as the more dependable satisfaction.

Surprising Parallels

Sex and live music are more similar than people often believe. Each symbolizes the activation of a relationship, a real-world test of expectations or promise that could have built solely in your imagination. You show up with a basic expectation of how it’s likely to go, but anticipating happily shocked – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing relies heavily on whether your energy and expectations match theirs. Frequently you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and later be waiting around for a break and personal space by yourself. And, in both cases, stimulants and beverages can either enhance or reduce the situation (but certainly help the most unpleasant situations simpler to handle).

Seeking Harmony

The wonder to both gigs and sex relies on locating that elusive sweet spot between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Certainly it occurs infrequently – but it's the remembrance of when it worked, the knowledge that it’s possible, that inspires us to try again: to {