Tentacles, punk rage and self-love with Ashnikko

She swapped the ponytails for a bob-cut but the blue is still here. The cutting-edge artist that rose to fame with their 2019 single "Stupid" with Baby Tate and established their reputation with their EP “Demidevil” has a lot to say, which conveys through an incredible performance packed with queer-fem anger.

Ashton Nicole Casey put all her ideas and ideals into the cybergoth pixie alien persona of Ashnikko. The artist has become the voice of the anger felt by womxn across the world, as seen by the number of TikTok videos that sample her punch-line “stupid boys think that I need them”, but also a figure of empowerment for claiming out and proud sapphic desires “Me and your girlfriend playin' dress up at my house…” (we let you complete the rest).

Pansexual and genderfluid, Ashnikko is everything queer Gen-Z folks needed. Each of their song is a hammer kick to the patriarchy walls, and frankly, simply a catharsis. During their performance at the Lab, she played her remix of iconic Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi”, an anthem for those tired to play their boyfriends’ therapist and babysitter. She explained how skater boys always want to get to her, and eventually do, by being hit by her knee (all of this through a hilarious mimicking).

Describing her songs as love letters to herself, Ashnikko also gives a lot of importance to self-love, which she showcased in the middle of her show with a little self-love exercise. Explaining how she is trying to be nicer to herself, she encouraged the audience to do a little self-massage break and to talk to themselves more nicely. A lesson we should all remember: the patriarchy won’t get destroyed without some breaks and self-love!

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Pictures © FFJM 2022 Marc Ducrest