If you’ve seen recent coverage of Newport punk band The NaNaz in the BBC and The Guardian, you’ll already know they’re getting a lot of attention as a band made up largely of women over 50.
But what makes The NaNaz truly remarkable isn’t their age – it’s how recently they started.
The band grew out of the Nana Punk workshops in South Wales, created to encourage women over 50 to pick up instruments, make noise and start bands, regardless of previous musical experience. The project was organised by Jude Price and Efa Supertramp and supported by Wales Millennium Centre, creating a space for women to try something many had never imagined was available to them.
LOUD WOMEN’s Cassie Fox was involved in some of the workshops, helping encourage participants to discover the joy, confidence and community that comes from making music together.
What followed has been extraordinary.
Within a remarkably short time, The NaNaz evolved from workshop participants into a fully-fledged band writing original songs about menopause, pension inequality, everyday frustrations and the realities of women’s lives. Their songs are funny, furious, heartfelt and completely their own. Far from being a novelty act, they’ve become a genuinely brilliant live band: tight, charismatic and packed with personality.
We saw that first-hand when The NaNaz played LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC this month. Their set was one of the highlights of the day: confident, joyful, political and hugely entertaining. They didn’t feel like a new band finding their feet. They felt like a band that belonged on that stage.
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye 
The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC – photo by Faye
Now the wider media is catching up. The Guardian recently dubbed them the “real Riot Women”, drawing comparisons with Sally Wainwright’s BBC drama while highlighting the very real stories, experiences and activism that sit at the heart of The NaNaz. Meanwhile, the BBC has followed their journey from Newport workshops to international festival stages.
You’ll be able to see The NaNaz at LOUD WOMEN Fest London this September, where we’re incredibly excited to welcome them to the lineup.
And if you’re heading to Rebellion Festival this summer, make sure you catch them there too.
The NaNaz prove that it’s never too late to start a band, never too late to learn something new, and never too late to have something important to say. We reckon that’s punk as fuck.