Over eight million of us have never been to a gig in our lives – for one very good reason
MORE than eight million Brits aged 18 and over have never been to a gig, while more than 16 million haven’t experienced live music in the past 10 years, according to a new study.
Despite more than two thirds of Brits agreeing that live music is better than playing the tracks at home, new research has revealed many struggle to get out to concerts.
Londoners are the biggest live music fans, with one in six attending a gig at least once a month.
But almost one in five people aged 55 and over have never been to a gig before, while people in Yorkshire and the Humber are the least likely to have gone to a gig.
According to the O2 research, many people who have never been to a gig claim the price puts them off, while 23 per cent said they find crowds overwhelming and 15 per cent say they lived too far from a venue.
One in seven Brits even believe they are too old to go to a concert.
Favourite Music Genre By City
Birmingham – Hip-hop
Bristol – Hip-hop
Glasgow – Rock
Leicester – Urban
Leeds – Rock
Liverpool – Pop
London – Dance
Newcastle – Rock
Sheffield – Rock
Oxford – Dance
Southampton – Rock
But these fears only apply to those who’ve never been to gigs, the research revealed.
Those who go regularly love the experience.
Half cited the atmosphere as one of the best things about seeing live music, while 41 per cent said making memories was one of the key parts of gig-going.
Nina Bibby, CMO at O2, said: “Our research has revealed that many people are missing out on the incredible experience of seeing live music.
What People Listen To When They Want To Feel Happy
Pop – 41%
Rock – 32%
Pop Rock – 27%
Classical – 20%
Dance – 19%
Country – 18%
Disco – 18%
Ballads – 16%
Musicals – 15%
Indie – 15%
“But that doesn’t have to be the case.
“O2 has 19 O2 Academy venues in 13 cities across the UK and through Priority Tickets, we give our customers access to over 5,000 live shows in more than 350 venues across every year.”
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The news comes after a recent scientific study showed that regular gig-going is actually good for you.
It can help extend lifespans by nine years, while just 20 minutes of gig time was proven to increase people’s feelings of self-worth, closeness to others, mental stimulation and general feelings of wellbeing.
When it comes to artists that Brits wish they’d seen live, Queen, The Beatles and Abba topped the list.
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