‘IMMEDIATE MUSIC’

Performance art is a state of mind. For some people, the only difference between it and a lobotomy is that the surgery is generally quicker.

John King’s “Immediate Music,” let it be said, is not mind-numbing. Undisciplined, irritating, artificial and pompous, yes--but it is also an endlessly inventive audio-visual goad to flaccid social consciences, leavened with humor.

“Immediate Music” is also not as potent a protest song as King may hope. He was probably preaching to an already-converted audience Thursday night at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, and in that context there was nothing notably outrageous about his performance.

King’s principal message was anti-apartheid, although he also touched on militarism, unemployment and the plight of small farmers. His sentiments are undoubtedly sincere, but his performance seemed merely clever, lacking the power and concentration to establish genuine emotional or intellectual conviction.

Basically an hourlong solo guitar jam with slide show, “Immediate Music” consists of eight interconnected pieces with one-word titles, each generating its own pertinent imagery. “Move” introduced the racism theme by linking apartheid with the Philadelphia MOVE tragedy.

The CalArts-trained musician parodied garage band styles with abandon, flailing away on his old Fender guitar with everything imaginable, from his nose to a violin bow. He quoted “Old MacDonald” and “Chopsticks” and brought out an electric violin for some solid bluegrass fiddling.

King kept his feet busy as well, using foot switches and pedals to control his electronic effects--including tape loops and prerecorded material--and to change slides. He produced sophisticated results from relatively simple equipment.

King did some talking, but the principal textual source was typed messages on the slides. Artistically, “Immediate Music” is a fairly tight show, but King touches too many social issues too superficially for real impact.