A Night Out to Remember: Is Live Music Really Chosen Over Sex?

Picture finding yourself with a free evening. You are rejuvenated, eager for new things, and wanting to break from your usual routine of evening scrolling. Life itself is your oyster! Could you choose a) seeing live music or b) having sex? The outcome, as typically the case with these sorts of queries, is plainly: “That depends.” Thinking adults might logically wonder: what is the show? With whom is the companion? Is it going to be satisfying?

Not many would select a Limp Bizkit/Slipknot/Korn triple bill if the alternative was a magical night with a favorite star. Yet change any part of the scenario, and it grows more complicated. Regarding the thousands surveyed asked this question from a live event company, no additional details was given – and the result came out clearly and heavily preferring live music events.

Research Findings Reveal Surprising Trends

An international survey, interviewing 40,000 people aged between 18 and 54 across multiple countries, found that live music are now the most popular form of entertainment, surpassing games, cinema and – indeed – intimacy. Given the choice to a single form of entertainment forever, 39% of respondents picked live music, versus film attendance (17%) and games (14%). The group was over two times as likely to prefer watching their top musician in concert (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

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

Context and Considerations

Naturally it’s not surprising that a PR survey commissioned by a gig organizer would result so overwhelmingly in favour of concerts – and, amid the playful spirit of a either-or question, if your favourite artist is, say an iconic star, you can see why attending his concert might win out rather than a routine situation. However this binary choice between concerts or sexual activity, plainly ridiculous as it is, is fascinating to consider given the odd juncture we face with these two aspects.

The Evolution of Live Music Experience

In recent years, live music participation has become not just a shared activity but a competitive sport. Event companies appropriately highlight that stadium attendance has “increased threefold annually”, and music festivals sell out quicker than before. Just obtaining tickets now requires detailed strategy, quick decision-making and bottomless pockets (or a generous credit card limit). Though you succeed, it’s not enough to just show up and enjoy the show. Currently there is an assumption, at least among concertgoers, that you could increase your return on investment by seeing several shows (even travelling internationally), learning the song selection ahead of time and understanding the rituals to follow and calls-and-responses established by previous crowds.

Several attendees describe being shaken by their experience at large concerts: what seemed like a orchestrated show of massive crowds, to which some individuals turned up unfamiliar with the routine. That 18-month concert series, producing huge revenue, was proof of the extents that people will go to feel part of a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer play, even if the live sound appears more and more less important than the spectacle.

The Condition of Current Relationships

Sexual activity, conversely – a relatively cheap and available enjoyment – is in challenging circumstances. Based on contemporary studies, nearly one in four of adults had sex in an regular period, while about three in ten were sexually inactive. In another major country, modern figures showed that more than 25% of individuals said they had not sexual activity even once in the previous year, up from smaller percentages in the past. Across these regions, the trend has been linked to reduced intimacy among younger people. Contrast this with the sector booming for large concerts and the intense rivalry for passes. Certainly it’s not as simple as a basic option between either option – “do you prefer see a major tour often, or stay celibate?” – but it's possibly an signal of how people see the more consistent enjoyment.

Surprising Parallels

Relationships and gigs are more similar than you might think. Both represent the activation of a connection, a practical trial of expectations or potential that might have amassed only in your head. You show up with a general notion of the probable outcome, but expecting to be delightfully amazed – and how it ends up good or bad depends very much on if your enthusiasm and hopes match theirs. Regularly you’ll end up with someone else’s hair in your mouth, and afterwards be lingering for a break and personal space by yourself. Likewise with either, substances and drinks can either enhance or lessen the event (but certainly help the most dire experiences simpler to handle).

Achieving Equilibrium

The appeal to live events and relationships hinges on discovering that perfect combination between comfort and excitement, consistency and change, effort and ease. Naturally it's uncommon – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the understanding that success is achievable, that motivates us to try again: to {