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Envision finding yourself with a night off. You're feeling energized, ready for adventure, and looking to change your regular habits of post-work slumping. The world awaits your choice! Do you choose a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The outcome, as frequently true with such kinds of queries, is clearly: “That depends.” Reasonable people could understandably inquire: what is the gig? Who is the partner? Could it be going to be enjoyable?

Hardly anyone would choose a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the other option was a magical night with a favorite star. But adjust either end of the comparison, and it becomes more complicated. For the 40,000 people presented with this choice from a major concert promoter, no further context was provided – and the answer emerged unambiguously and heavily supporting concerts.

Survey Results Show Unexpected Trends

A worldwide study, interviewing 40,000 people ranging from 18 and 54 from different nations, revealed that concerts currently stand as the number one pastime, ranking above sports, cinema and – indeed – intimacy. If restricted to only one option of entertainment permanently, a significant portion chose gigs, versus watching movies (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also over two times as inclined to prefer seeing their favourite artist live (70%) instead of sex (30%).

You arrive hopeful of being delightfully amazed – and regularly you could wind up with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Naturally it's expected that a promotional study conducted for a gig organizer might conclude so overwhelmingly in favour of concerts – and, with the speculative tone of a hypothetical choice, if your favourite artist is, for example a legendary singer, you can see why attending his concert might win out instead of a ordinary situation. But this either-or decision between gigs or sex, obviously silly as it is, is interesting to reflect on amid the peculiar juncture we experience with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Gig Attendance

Over the past few years, concert attendance has become not just a shared activity but a competitive sport. Major promoters appropriately highlight that arena crowds has “increased threefold each year”, and festivals sell out faster than ever. Simply getting admissions now demands detailed strategy, rapid-fire response times and bottomless pockets (or a substantial budget). Even if you succeed, that alone won't do to just show up and experience the event. There’s now an assumption, at least among music enthusiasts, that you can boost your enjoyment value by going multiple times (including overseas trips), learning the song selection in advance and knowing your marks to hit and calls-and-responses established by past attendees.

Several concertgoers describe being shaken by their experience at large concerts: appearing as a orchestrated show of thousands of people, where some individuals turned up unfamiliar with the protocol. Those lengthy tour, earning massive sums, demonstrated of the degree to which fans will travel to experience a significant event and experience their top musician play, though the actual music grows somewhat secondary to the show.

The State of Modern Intimacy

Sexual activity, by contrast – an affordable and available enjoyment – faces dire straits. Per recent surveys, approximately 25% of people engaged sexually in an average week, while just under a third were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, current statistics revealed that a significant portion of people reported not having intimacy at all in the previous year, up from lower numbers in earlier years. In these areas, the trend has been associated with reduced intimacy with younger generations. Contrast this with the market expanding rapidly for large concerts and the intense rivalry for admissions. Naturally it's more complicated as a basic option between both alternatives – “could you choose experience a popular event often, or remain abstinent?” – but it’s perhaps an indication of what is viewed as the more consistent satisfaction.

Unexpected Similarities

Intimacy and concerts are more similar than people often believe. Both represent the commencement of a relationship, a actual experience of impressions or possibility that might have amassed just in your mind. You come with a basic expectation of how it’s likely to go, but hopeful of being delightfully amazed – and how it ends up satisfying or frustrating rests largely on if your enthusiasm and anticipations align with others. Frequently you could wind up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and afterwards be waiting around for a cigarette and some quiet time by yourself. Likewise with either, substances and drinks can potentially heighten or detract from the event (but definitely make the most dire situations easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The appeal to concerts and intimacy relies on finding that perfect combination between familiarity and novelty, similarity and difference, effort and ease. Naturally it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of when they did, the understanding that success is achievable, that inspires us to try again: to {