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Picture having a open night. You are refreshed, eager for new things, and hoping to change your usual routine of relaxing at home. Your options is your oyster! Would you prefer a) going to a gig or b) being with a partner? The response, as is often the case with such kinds of queries, is obviously: “That depends.” Mature individuals could understandably inquire: what kind of the show? Who is the partner? Is it expected to be enjoyable?

Few would pick a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a dream date with a beloved celebrity. However tweak one side of the comparison, and it grows more complicated. In the case of the thousands surveyed presented with this choice by a gig organization, no such context was given – and the response was revealed decisively and strongly supporting live music events.

Research Findings Show Interesting Choices

A global study, polling thousands of participants ranging from 18 and 54 across multiple countries, showed that concerts have become the most popular form of entertainment, beating out games, cinema and – indeed – sex. Given the choice to only one option of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, a significant portion chose gigs, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also over two times as inclined to select attending their preferred performer on stage (70%) over intimacy (30%).

You show up expecting to be delightfully amazed – and frequently you could wind up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Of course it's expected that a marketing research conducted for a gig organizer should come out so overwhelmingly preferring live shows – and, in the freewheeling tone of a hypothetical choice, if your top performer is, such as Paul McCartney, it's understandable why attending his concert may be chosen rather than a common or garden situation. However this binary choice between live music or intimacy, clearly absurd even if it seems, is noteworthy to think about given the odd moment we experience with both.

The Change of Live Music Experience

Over the past few years, live music participation has evolved into more than a shared activity but a intense competition. Live organizations rightly note that stadium attendance has “tripled annually”, and festivals are fully reserved faster than ever. Just obtaining passes now demands extensive preparation, rapid-fire response times and bottomless pockets (or a generous credit card limit). Even if you’re successful, it isn't sufficient to simply turn up and experience the event. There’s now an anticipation, especially for pop fans, that you can boost your enjoyment value by seeing several shows (even travelling internationally), swotting up on the song selection in advance and knowing your marks to follow and fan traditions established by past attendees.

Many attendees admit to shaken by their experience at major tours: appearing as a scripted production of huge audiences, in which particular fans turned up unfamiliar with the protocol. That 18-month event, generating billions, demonstrated of the lengths to which attendees will push to experience a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer play, though the actual music grows somewhat secondary to the spectacle.

The Situation of Contemporary Sexuality

Intimacy, on the other hand – an accessible and accessible pleasure – experiences dire straits. Based on contemporary studies, approximately 25% of adults engaged sexually in an regular period, while nearly 30% were abstaining. In a different nation, current statistics indicated that more than 25% of individuals said they had not sex even once in the previous year, rising from fewer people in the past. In these areas, the trend has been attributed to decreased encounters in youth demographics. Compare this with the market booming for major events and the fierce battle for admissions. Certainly it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between either option – “could you choose experience a popular event often, or avoid intimacy?” – but it’s perhaps an signal of how people see the more reliable enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Sex and live music are more similar than people often believe. Each symbolizes the commencement of a relationship, a actual experience of expectations or possibility that may have developed only in your head. You show up with a general notion of how it’s likely to go, but expecting to be happily shocked – and whether it proves good or bad relies heavily on how your vibe and expectations match theirs. Quite often you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth, and later be waiting around for a break and a moment alone on your own. Likewise with either, stimulants and beverages can either enhance or reduce the experience (but definitely make the most unpleasant situations more bearable).

Achieving Equilibrium

The magic to live events and relationships hinges on locating that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, sameness and variation, challenge and comfort. Naturally it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the awareness that success is achievable, that inspires us to attempt once more: to {