Love, Lust, and Luscious Vocals: Ashnikko’s Valentine’s Day Takeover in Manchester

Photo by Owen Smith @owenlmshoots on Instagram

Valentine’s Day is usually reserved for cheesy cards, overpriced roses, and polite dinners. But if you were at the Manchester Academy for Night 2 of the Smoochies Tour in Manchester, you know we traded the chocolates for something much more delicious: raw feminine energy, sweat, and obviously, TRINKETS.

Let’s be real – Ashnikko doesn’t just put on a show; she creates a dimension; and on February 14th, 2026, Manchester became the capital of that dimension.

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Amelia Moore Giving Main Character Energy

It is a rare, beautiful thing to walk into a venue as a casual listener and leave as a certified stan. Usually, the support act is something you can vibe to and chill while holding your spot at the barrier. But Amelia Moore? She didn’t just warm up the stage; she set it on fire.

Serving looks and even better vocals, Amelia’s energy was infectious. It’s hard to find an opener who matches the specific, chaotic-cool vibe of an Ashnikko crowd, but she truly nailed it. The audio in the venue was crystal clear, allowing her “outstanding” (and I don’t use that word lightly) vocal runs to hit us right in the chest.

• The Standouts: Her performance of see through was hauntingly beautiful, but when she dropped fuck, marry, kill, the room shifted.
  
• The Vibe: She was serving pure energy. Flawless execution, zero misses.

If you aren’t already obsessed, consider this your formal invitation to start streaming. She was the perfect primer for the madness that was to follow.

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The Main Event: Mic ON, Energy UP

When the lights dimmed for Ashnikko, the atmosphere turned electric. We all know the Smoochies album is a no-skip work of art. It’s sultry, it’s aggressive, and it’s deeply vulnerable. Seeing it brought to life was like watching a technicolor dream unfold in real-time.

From the second she stepped out, one thing was abundantly clear: the mic was ON. In an era of backing tracks and lip-syncing, Ashnikko’s vocal control is nothing short of supernatural. She wasn’t just singing; she was belting, growling, and whispering while executing some of the most intense, stunning choreography I’ve ever seen.

The Dynamic Duo: Dewi & Molly

A huge shoutout has to go to her backing dancers, Dewi Dihal and Molly Hincks. The chemistry between the three of them was palpable. The choreography wasn’t just “backup dancing” – it was a physical manifestation of the music. It was sharp, athletic, and incredibly sexy. Watching them move in perfect unison while Ashnikko delivered stadium-level vocals was a performance of a lifetime moment.

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The Setlist: A Masterclass in Balance

The Smoochies Tour is, of course, a celebration of the new era, but Ash knows her fans. The setlist was a curated journey through her evolution.

• The New Era: Hearing Chichinya and Microplastics live felt like a spiritual awakening. Microplastics in particular has this driving, industrial grit that just hits different when the bass is vibrating through your floorboards.
  
• The Classics: We got the hits from DEMIDEVIL and WEEDKILLER that made us fall in love with her in the first place. The transitions were seamless; some songs melded together so perfectly you didn’t even have time to catch your breath before the next beat dropped.

Skin Cleared and Invitation were highlights for me. There is something so empowering about thousands of people screaming those lyrics in a room together. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a collective release.

I just wish Night 2 in Manchester got It Girl – that’s my one and only negative from the whole experience. But, absolutely not enough to lower the high I was feeling through the whole night.

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The Sermon: The Power of “No” and Being an Arsehole

Amidst the high-octane dancing and the flashing lights, Ashnikko took a moment to get real with us. And honestly? This was the part that stuck with me the most.

She gave a small speech about the pressure of always striving and being a nice person that societal expectation to be soft, agreeable, and palatable. She admitted that sometimes, you just need to be an arsehole.

She mentioned that growing up, ‘no’ was a bad word. It was ‘unladylike.’ But there is so much power in being able to say no.

As someone who has spent far too much time people-pleasing, this resonated deeply. Hearing an artist at the top of their game validate the need for boundaries – and even a bit of healthy aggression – felt like a permission slip to stop apologising for taking up space. It was a Valentine’s Day gift to ourselves: the realization that self-love often starts with a firm ‘fuck off’.

The feminine power in the room during this speech was thick enough to cut with a knife. It wasn’t just about girl power; it was about autonomy.

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Technical Brilliance: Vocals vs. Vibe

I need to circle back to the vocal control because it’s actually insane. Usually, when an artist is doing full-out choreo, the vocals take a backseat. Not Ash. She managed to keep her breath support steady through back-to-back high-energy tracks. It’s a testament to her craft and the work she’s put into this tour – while also recovering from the flu? INSANE.

The production value was top-tier. The lighting design for Manchester Night 2 was moody, neon, and perfectly paced with the set. Every beat drop was punctuated by a visual shift that kept the audience in a trance.

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Final Thoughts: Can I Just Quit My Job And Be A Certified Smoochie Girl?

If I could afford it – and if the real world didn’t require things like paying rent and being a responsible adult – I would be on a plane following this tour to every single city.

The Smoochies Tour isn’t just a series of concerts; it’s a movement. It’s for the outcasts, the heart-on-sleeve lovers, and the ones who aren’t afraid to admit they’re fueled by equal parts spite and horniness. It’s a masterclass in reclaiming your desires and looking damn good while doing it.

Night 2 in Manchester was pure performance art. Ashnikko isn’t just a digital sensation; she’s a vocal force of nature with a commanding stage presence that leaves the rest of the world feeling a little bit blurry.

Rating: 11/10. My skin is cleared, and I’m feeling the Smoochie Girl energy.