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Envision finding yourself with a free evening. You feel rejuvenated, ready for adventure, and wanting to break from your usual routine of post-work slumping. Your options awaits your choice! Do you opt for a) going to a gig or b) having sex? The outcome, as typically true with these sorts of questions, is plainly: “It depends.” Thinking adults could understandably ask: what kind of the show? Who's the other person? Is it expected to be enjoyable?

Not many would pick a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the choice was a magical night with Jonathan Bailey. Yet change any part of the comparison, and it grows less clearcut. Regarding the 40,000 people presented with this choice through a major concert promoter, no additional context was offered – and the answer emerged unambiguously and heavily in favour of concerts.

Survey Results Show Surprising Choices

A worldwide study, polling 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 across 15 markets, showed that gigs are now the world’s top leisure activity, surpassing games, movies and – indeed – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to one type of activity permanently, 39% of respondents selected concerts, versus going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). The group was over two times as likely to choose watching their top musician live (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

You appear anticipating happily shocked – and frequently you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Naturally it's expected that a marketing research carried out for a gig organizer would result so heavily preferring gigs – and, with the speculative mood of a either-or question, if your top performer is, such as a legendary singer, one can appreciate why attending his concert might win out instead of a common or garden encounter. But this binary choice between live music or intimacy, plainly ridiculous though it may be, is fascinating to reflect on considering the strange moment we’re at with each.

The Change of Concert Culture

Over the past few years, concert attendance has become not just a communal experience but a competitive sport. Major promoters appropriately highlight that large venue turnout has “tripled each year”, and live events are fully reserved faster than ever. Just obtaining admissions now requires military-level planning, quick decision-making and bottomless pockets (or a substantial budget). Although you’re successful, it’s not enough to just show up and experience the event. Currently there is an anticipation, at least among pop fans, that you might enhance your return on investment by attending more than once (potentially going abroad), swotting up on the performance lineup ahead of time and knowing your marks to hit and fan traditions created by earlier audiences.

Numerous fans report feeling shaken by their experience at popular events: what felt like a orchestrated show of huge audiences, where particular fans turned up unfamiliar with the steps. The extended tour, earning massive sums, showed of the degree to which people will go to participate in a significant event and experience their top musician play, though the real performance seems increasingly overshadowed by the spectacle.

The Condition of Modern Intimacy

Intimacy, on the other hand – a relatively cheap and available enjoyment – is in challenging circumstances. Based on contemporary studies, nearly one in four of adults engaged sexually in an regular period, while just under a third were not engaging. Elsewhere, recent data revealed that more than 25% of people reported not having sexual activity a single time in the past year, increasing from smaller percentages in earlier years. Across these regions, the trend has been linked to reduced intimacy among younger people. Compare this with the sector booming for major events and the intense rivalry for tickets. Certainly it’s not as simple as a basic option between both alternatives – “could you choose attend a huge concert repeatedly, or remain abstinent?” – but it’s perhaps an indication of what is viewed as the more dependable pleasure.

Unexpected Similarities

Sex and live music are more similar than you might think. They both embody the activation of a connection, a practical trial of expectations or promise that could have built only in your head. You come with a general notion of the probable outcome, but anticipating delightfully amazed – and how it ends up enjoyable or disappointing relies heavily on how your vibe and anticipations align with others. Frequently you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth, and afterwards be hanging out for a smoke and a moment alone by yourself. And, in both cases, substances and drinks can sometimes improve or lessen the event (but certainly help the most unpleasant situations simpler to handle).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to concerts and intimacy relies on finding that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Certainly it's uncommon – but it's the recollection of successful moments, the knowledge that it can happen, that drives us to attempt once more: to {