Whether or not you look back on the experience with fond memories, losing your virginity (at least at the time) can feel like a pretty big deal. For the most part, we’re not really putting our best foot forward – whether it’s down to nerves, inexperience or, a lot of the time, the number of drinks we’ve sunk to mask them both. The proof is in the pudding: a Canadian study found that 62% of men asked reported physical satisfaction their first time around, which dips to a meagre 35% for the women asked.
New research by viagogo has illustrated how, for Gen Z, other (more surprising) moments have surpassed how they look back on getting intimate for the very first time.
Commissioning YouGov to carry out the research, the ticketing exchange platform found that, when speaking to Gen Z concertgoers in the UK, 21% consider attending their first concert as more memorable than losing their virginity.
While we can’t deny that special feeling of experiencing your favourite artist live, there must be something to be said about the sex we’re having that we prize a live concert over having it for the first time. But I can relate – watching Britney Spears perform on her comeback tour when I was 13 was miles better than any of my early sexual experiences put together.
From the anticipation of showing up at the arena (or hole in the wall) to being surrounded by a community of fans just as passionate about the genre of music, viagogo’s research hits home how important live shows are to Gen Z’s livelihoods. Here are some key findings.
They’re willing to give booze up for front row seats
Nearly half (43%) of Gen Z respondents said they’d give up alcohol for six months if it meant they could be at the front row of their favourite artist’s show. This might not come as much of a shock, however, considering that previous research has shown that the generation drinks 20% less on average than the generation before them, millennials.
Their first live show is far more memorable than just losing their virginity…
They also believe experiencing their first gig was more memorable than their first kiss (16%) and getting their first job (20%).
They’re the generation most likely to cry during a show
Whether they’re losing their shit at Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour or crying from the front row of a Drake show, bring some tissues if you’re attending a show with an 11-26 year old. The survey found that 20 per cent of Gen Z admit to being overcome with emotion while attending a concert, compared to 18 per cent of millennials and just 11 per cent of baby boomers. *Sniff*
19% of them would go as far as to call in sick to go to a gig
This makes them twice as likely to pull a sicky than millennials – only 8% of them would miss work to see a concert. After one Beyoncé fan’s annual leave request was denied by her manager, she quit her job so she could catch the Renaissance Tour this summer. Who can blame her though? It is Beyoncé after all.
But it’s not just work that fans are willing to miss to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. The research found that 21% of women asked said they’d miss the birth of a family member for a concert, while 17% of men said they’d flake on a close friend’s wedding. Ouch.