Roland Lee Gift (born 28 May 1961, Birmingham, England) is best known as the lead vocalist of Fine Young Cannibals, whose hits ‘Johnny Come Home’, ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ and ‘Good Thing’ achieved major global success in the late 1980s. Before joining the band in 1984, Gift fronted the ska group The Akrylykz, already showcasing the distinctive voice that would define his career.
Alongside music, Gift has built a diverse acting résumé. His film debut came in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), followed by Tin Men, Scandal (1989), and The Island of the Mapmaker’s Wife (2001). On stage, he played Romeo in Hull Truck Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet (1990). Television roles include the immortal Xavier St. Cloud in Highlander: The Series, appearances in Heartbeat and Painted Lady, and a guest role in Meet the Richardsons (2021).
In recent years, Gift has enjoyed a creative resurgence. In 2020, he wrote and starred in two BBC Radio 4 productions, the drama The Punk’s Progress, a radio drama about a group of teen punks following The Clash, and the musical drama Return to Vegas, playing Johnny Holloway, an ex-pop star emerging from prison, co-writing its songs with Ben Barson (Gabrielle, Bomb The Bass) (information on both plays below).
From 2021 to 2022, he toured as a guest vocalist with Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra culminating in December 2022, he returned to BBC Two’s Hootenanny, performing Fine Young Cannibals classics for a new audience.
Roland continues to tour regularly with his band The Blacks.
A musical drama written by and starring Roland Gift.
Johnny Holloway, an ex-pop star wrongly convicted of drug dealing, gets out of prison and is picked up on his release by his "brother from another mother", Sean. Having missed the funeral, Johnny asks to be taken to the wake of his colleague Frank to pay his respects. When he gets there, he finds he has inherited his nightclub - the Las Vegas - much to the disgust of Frank's son, Ricky.
To add insult to injury, Johnny used to be with Ricky’s wife Carol. He's determined to right a few wrongs and, when Ricky steps out of line, Johnny sees the way forward - he needs to battle an old rival to win the girl he loves.
It's a story about love, felony and betrayal. Who will rise above and win the day?
Recorded on location in Gerry’s Club in Soho, London, with music written by Gift and Barson and performed by Roland Gift and members of the cast.
Written by Roland Gift
At the end of June 1978, Roland along with some fellow punk rocker mates went on a coach from Hull to Leeds Queens Hall to see their favourite band, The Clash.
Two days prior, Roland’s mother had told him he had to leave the family home. She said having him in the house as a 17-year-old would affect her benefits and he had to go.
Once they arrived at Leeds Queens Hall, the opening act for the tour were the Coventry Automatics who played a mix of punk and reggae. Although they hadn’t heard of the group, Roland and Steve danced all the way through their set. Very soon after the tour they became known as The Specials.
Chelsea was the second act and, as they finished, the friends made their way to the front of the stage in readiness for The Clash.
Not far into The Clash’s act, the lead singer, Joe Strummer's trousers began to split and he asked the crowd if anyone had a safety pin?
Roland didn’t usually wear safety pins but that night he had one in his leather jacket - a nappy pin with a blue plastic head. He removed it from his jacket and held it out shouting “Joe, Joe.” Joe Strummer reached down and took his pin.
“With Punk I found a family, a lifestyle, creativity, a way to be. I might not have appreciated it consciously but when Joe Strummer took my pin he gave me fraternity.” Roland Gift says.
After the show, they decided to follow the band to their next gigs, first to Sheffield then on to Leicester. And so the road trip begins. On the way, they find themselves jumping on trains without tickets, spending nights in all-night greasy spoons, getting chased by Rockers, hitching lifts, and sleeping rough in the cold and rain before finally being offered a lift in a transit van by a bunch of heavies.
Naïvely, they risk their lives and get in….