Peredur ap Gwynedd, guitarist with electronic rock band Pendulum says Brexit is “the worst thing that has happened to Britain since the Second World War”.
In an interview for the Taith Bywyd / Life Journey series on S4C he talks about losing tens of thousands of pounds due to changes in working restrictions in the EU following Brexit. The programme will be shown on S4C tomorrow (February 4th), when Peredur goes on a journey to meet the people who changed his life and those who influenced his career.
Over the last few years Pendulum have toured the world and Peredur will soon embark on another tour with the band around the UK and Europe. He previously played with Natalie Imbruglia’s band when she had huge success with the single Torn which sold over 4 million copies. While talking to the programme’s presenter Owain Williams, Peredur reflected on the UK leaving the EU.
“When we were members of the EU we could go back and forth to France, Italy, Germany however much we wanted…Brexit is the worse thing that has happened to Britain since the Second World War.
“I can’t forgive anyone who voted for it, and I blame every one of them. It’s affected me and the lives of the people I work with.”
In September 2022, Peredur gave evidence in the House of Lords about the impact of changes to the rules following Brexit on the livelihood of musicians and technical crews from the United Kingdom. According to Peredur ap Gwynedd, UK citizens who have a British passport and work in the live music industry have lost income and job opportunities.
When discussing his time touring the world with Natalie Imbruglia’s band and the success of the single Torn, Peredur noted;
“With Torn, it went from nothing all the way up to the stratosphere – not a lot of musicians get that experience. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Peredur is also a well-known cycling pundit for S4C and is a popular figure amongst professional cyclists who love his music.
“My two hobbies are music and cycling.” he said, “I’m really, really, really lucky that I can do both for a living.”
Previous episodes of the series can be seen on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer, and feature football manager Osian Roberts, broadcaster Jason Mohammad and influencer and presenter Jess Davies. They will meet individuals who have been there for them, through the good days and the difficult times. But they won’t know who they’ll meet, or where they’re going next.
Taith Bywyd / Life Journey, Sunday, 4th of February at 9 pm on S4C. English and Welsh subtitles are available. Catch up later on S4C Clic and the BBC iPlayer.
