Like so many others, Whitley graced Amplifier on Friday night touring on the back of a new album. Go Forth, Find Mammoth is his second full-length release, and while it still retains a folk vibe, its ramshackle combination of horns, synth and strings mark a significant development in sound from the first release. With a new band and new sound, Amplifier was suitably bustling with interested punters.

Support came first in the form of local folk duo Goodnight Tiger. Telling heartfelt stories, mostly about relationships, it’s hard not to feel incredibly moved by the two girls, especially when their vocal harmonies kick in. The set was well drilled and tight, with solid, meaty chord progressions underpinning sweet vocal harmonies that drove the emotive force of their songs. They tell the sorts of stories we can all relate to, and strike a happy balance where songs might have a despondent theme, but are played in a way that avoids melancholic and depressing vibes. The only problem was that the vocals did sound a little muddy, but this was the fault of the Amplifier sound system, not the artists themselves.

Timothy Nelson & The Infidels’ sentimental songs continued in much the same way. With a hybrid sound sliding between different combinations of folk and country, the set was mostly loud, upbeat and energetic. The introduction of slide and whammy at times in Luke Dux’s lead guitar helped keep the set interesting, but it was front man Timothy Nelson’s passionate expression that was the crux of the performance. Nelson sings with much conviction, as if the stories he tells happened only yesterday. His vocals are shrill and powerful, and with their delivery his entire body vibrates along with them. Use of the harmonica for many lead melodies reinforced the piercing effect of the outfit’s sound, which because of its volume seemed better served by Amplifier’s set-up.

Then, hand-in-hand with his own mini onstage lightshow came Whitley. The set started well enough with Killer, buoyant and energetic, with lively folk guitar and a rolling synthesised rhythm resonating in the background. However a few songs later when a fan yelled “I love you!” after the crowd noise had dimmed following Whitley’s request for a quiet ambience, he spat that the “Girl with the really annoying voice” should “Shut the fuck up.” While it was slightly funny, it showed a kind of sour contempt for his fans, and he seemed mildly regretful, offering a token apology after the fact. Later on he also paid out a drunken Venus Williams look-alike guy who tried crack a yo mamma joke. This second vitriol was fair enough, but throughout the gig Whitley never really overcame his sour demeanour, and it tended to overshadow his music. Regardless, the conclusion held set’s strongest points, with the band leaving the stage to allow Whitley to play the warm I Remember off the first album, and an intimate interpretation of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. A hail of confetti and the sweeping acoustic and synthesised rhythms of Poison in Our Pockets brought the satisfactory gig to a close.