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Imagine finding yourself with a open night. You're feeling refreshed, eager for new things, and wanting to shake up your usual routine of relaxing at home. The world awaits your choice! Would you choose a) seeing live music or b) having sex? The outcome, as typically true with these sorts of hypotheticals, is clearly: “That depends.” Thinking adults might logically wonder: what is the gig? Who is the partner? Will it be likely to be satisfying?

Not many would pick a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the alternative was a magical night with a favorite star. But adjust any part of the equation, and it grows less obvious. In the case of the 40,000 people posed this query through a live event company, no such details was provided – and the answer came out unambiguously and overwhelmingly preferring gigs.

Research Findings Reveal Surprising Preferences

A worldwide study, interviewing thousands of participants from 18 and 54 from different nations, found that live music have become the world’s top leisure activity, beating out athletic events, films and – indeed – sex. If restricted to one type of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, 39% of respondents picked live music, compared to going to the cinema (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). They were also more than twice as inclined to choose seeing their favourite artist on stage (70%) instead of sexual activity (30%).

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

Factors and Reflections

Of course it’s not surprising that a promotional study carried out for a live event company might conclude so strongly in favour of live shows – and, amid the playful spirit of a hypothetical choice, if your favourite artist is, say an iconic star, you can see why watching him might win out rather than a routine situation. But this two-option scenario between gigs or sex, plainly ridiculous as it is, is fascinating to consider given the odd juncture we face with each.

The Evolution of Gig Attendance

In recent years, concert attendance has evolved into more than a communal experience but a serious endeavor. Event companies rightly note that stadium attendance has “tripled annually”, and festivals sell out more rapidly than previously. Simply getting passes now needs military-level planning, rapid-fire response times and bottomless pockets (or a high spending capacity). Although you’re successful, it’s not enough to merely attend and experience the event. Currently there is an assumption, particularly with concertgoers, that you can boost your experience quality by going multiple times (even travelling internationally), learning the performance lineup in advance and understanding the rituals to follow and audience interactions developed through earlier audiences.

Many attendees admit to shaken by their participation at popular events: what felt like a scripted production of massive crowds, to which certain attendees arrived unfamiliar with the routine. The extended event, producing huge revenue, was proof of the lengths to which people will go to participate in a significant event and watch their preferred performer play, although the live sound seems increasingly secondary to the spectacle.

The Situation of Current Relationships

Sex, by contrast – an accessible and common experience – faces challenging circumstances. Per recent surveys, nearly one in four of individuals had sex in an average week, while nearly 30% were not engaging. Elsewhere, modern figures revealed that more than 25% of adults said they had not intimacy at all in the previous year, up from smaller percentages in earlier years. In both territories, the trend has been linked to less sexual activity among younger people. Juxtapose this with the industry driving growth for major events and the fierce battle for passes. Of course it isn't straightforward as a basic option between both alternatives – “could you choose attend a huge concert repeatedly, or remain abstinent?” – but it's possibly an indication of how people see the more dependable enjoyment.

Interesting Comparisons

Relationships and gigs are closer aligned than you might think. They both embody the activation of a bond, a real-world test of expectations or potential that could have built just in your mind. You show up with a general notion of the probable outcome, but anticipating pleasantly surprised – and how it ends up good or bad depends very much on whether your energy and anticipations match theirs. Quite often you could wind up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and later be hanging out for a break and some quiet time by yourself. Likewise with either, drugs and alcohol can either enhance or reduce the event (but absolutely assist the most dire experiences more bearable).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to both gigs and sex relies on locating that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Of course it occurs infrequently – but it's the recollection of when they did, the understanding that it’s possible, that drives us to try again: to {