Subsolar/Osaka Sun/George Kingman
The Loft, at The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
The opening of The Loft, a new first floor space at the Old Fire Station in Bournemouth, brought a real sense of excitement to the local music scene. Designed as a more intimate counterpart to the main venue downstairs, the L-shaped room features two bars; a purpose-built DJ booth, a spacious dancefloor, seated areas and a live music stage — offering something distinctly different.
Despite it being a Thursday night, a strong crowd gathered to support three local acts making the most of the launch. Following February’s farewell show for Wave Chase, many familiar faces returned with new projects.
George Kingman opened the evening with a confident solo set. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, his distinctive voice carried original songs like Dreams of Tomorrow and Sweet Angel, alongside a surprise cover of Neil Young’s Lotta Love. Osaka Sun’s Oscar Anscomb joined him for the Beatles-esque My Oh My Girl, before he closed with the fan favourite Pure Honey. Kingman’s growth as a performer is clear, though it still feels like there’s even more to come from him.
Next up, Osaka Sun — featuring former Wave Chase members Sam Ruthen and Mickey Golicher, alongside Oscar Anscomb and drummer Brandon offered a glimpse into their evolving sound. Opening with Better Moments, their set blended atmospheric guitar effects, rich harmonies and a dreamy, Shoegaze-inspired style. Tracks like Never Drown and Butterflies stood out, while their debut release Authentica closed the set with a captivating, intimate energy. The crowd responded warmly, clearly embracing the band’s creative direction.
Subsolar rounded off the night with their debut performance. Formed by Joe Grange and Benji Taylor whose musical history spans Greyside, Cherry Lotus, and Bedroom Text; their brotherhood started around six years ago where they got together to combine their considerable talents to create music. Tonight is the band’s first live outing, they feature Alex Wilmott (Still Life/Monster Logic) on bass, Lloyd Allen (Xander & the Keys) on guitar along with the experienced and dependable Paul Rhys Nicola-Miller (Cherry Lotus, Chris Payn and the Parade/Ear Candy) on drums. Joe and Benji also play guitars and provide vocals.
The quartet can be forgiven for having a few initial nerves as it’s their first gig and a few technical issues plague the first song. However, when the band find their stride the crowd are treated with ethereal soundscapes from tracks like Komobrebi and the impressive Colder Seasons. Joe surprises us with a couple intimate acoustic numbers which sends a hush over the crowd. Girl Behind The Glass is sung passionately and the minimal instrumentation helps focus on the stellar vocal. Such is Life shows off the chemistry and creative enthusiasm between Benji and Joe on this tune that they have written together.
Overall, the night carried a palpable sense of anticipation — not just for this promising new venue, but for the artists shaping Bournemouth’s thriving local scene.
Set Lists
George Kingman
Brand New
Bed Well Made
One Day
Dreams of Tomorrow
Sweet Angel
Lotta Love (Neil Young)
My Oh My Girl (with Oscar Anscomb)
Pure Honey
Osaka Sun
Better Moment
Stuck
Never Drown
Butterflies
Only In Your Dreams
Waiting For You
Authentica
Subsolar
When The Sun Comes
Becks
Komobrebi
Maybe Another Time
Pretty Sure There’s Nothing Divine
Girl Behind The Glass
Fall Off The Moon (The Technicolors)
Such is Life
Colder Seasons
Here and Now
Videos
Links
https://www.instagram.com/subsolar__
https://www.instagram.com/_osakasun
https://www.instagram.com/georgekingmanmusic
Article By David Chinery (Chinners)
