A Night to Cherish: Is Attending Gigs Honestly Chosen Over Sex?

Picture having a open night. You are energized, open to experience, and looking to change your typical schedule of evening scrolling. The world awaits your choice! Do you prefer a) seeing live music or b) being with a partner? The outcome, as typically the case with these types of questions, is plainly: “It varies.” Reasonable people may reasonably wonder: what's the gig? Who is the companion? Could it be likely to be enjoyable?

Few would select a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the alternative was a dream date with Jonathan Bailey. However tweak either end of the scenario, and it grows more complicated. Regarding the thousands surveyed posed this query by a live event company, no further context was provided – and the result came out clearly and strongly supporting live music events.

Survey Results Reveal Interesting Trends

An international report, polling a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 in 15 markets, showed that concerts are now the world’s top pastime, ranking above sports, films and – yes – sex. If restricted to one type of entertainment forever, a significant portion picked gigs, versus film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also over two times as prone to select watching their top musician on stage (70%) rather than sexual activity (30%).

You show up expecting to be happily shocked – and regularly you’ll end up with a stranger's hair in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Certainly it’s not surprising that a promotional study commissioned by a gig organizer should come out so heavily in favour of gigs – and, in the freewheeling tone of a would-you-rather, if your preferred musician is, such as Paul McCartney, one can appreciate why seeing him may be chosen over a ordinary encounter. But this binary choice between live music or intimacy, obviously silly though it may be, is interesting to think about given the odd juncture we’re at with these two aspects.

The Change of Gig Attendance

In recent years, gig-going has become not just a group event but a competitive sport. Major promoters rightly note that arena crowds has “increased threefold each year”, and festivals are fully reserved faster than ever. Merely acquiring passes now needs detailed strategy, instant reactions and deep finances (or a generous credit card limit). Although you manage, it’s not enough to merely attend and watch the performance. There’s now an anticipation, at least among music enthusiasts, that you could increase your return on investment by attending more than once (potentially going abroad), learning the song selection ahead of time and memorizing the cues to follow and audience interactions established by past attendees.

Several concertgoers report feeling scarred by their experience at large concerts: appearing as a choreographed performance of huge audiences, where particular fans arrived unaware of the protocol. The extended tour, earning massive sums, showed of the degree to which people will go to feel part of a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer sing, although the real performance seems increasingly overshadowed by the production.

The Situation of Contemporary Sexuality

Intimacy, by contrast – an affordable and common experience – experiences difficult times. Based on contemporary studies, approximately 25% of adults were intimate in an average week, while nearly 30% were not engaging. Elsewhere, recent data revealed that a significant portion of adults admitted to avoiding sexual activity a single time in the previous year, up from lower numbers in previous decades. Across these regions, the shift has been linked to less sexual activity among younger people. Compare this with the industry driving growth for major events and the intense rivalry for admissions. Naturally it's more complicated as a basic option between one or the other – “could you choose see a major tour often, or remain abstinent?” – but it’s perhaps an indication of what is viewed as the more reliable pleasure.

Surprising Parallels

Intimacy and concerts are more similar than you might think. They both embody the activation of a bond, a real-world test of impressions or possibility that might have amassed just in your mind. You show up with a general notion of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being pleasantly surprised – and how it ends up satisfying or frustrating depends very much on how your vibe and anticipations align with others. Frequently you might find with a stranger's hair in your mouth, and afterwards be hanging out for a smoke and a moment alone alone. And, in both cases, substances and drinks can either enhance or lessen the event (but absolutely assist the most dire occasions more bearable).

Finding the Balance

The wonder to concerts and intimacy hinges on finding that hard-to-find balance between comfort and excitement, similarity and difference, challenge and comfort. Certainly it occurs infrequently – but it’s the memory of when it worked, the understanding that it’s possible, that drives us to attempt once more: to {