Look Away

A fine, impassioned documentary exposing the repeated sexual abuse of young women by some of the more conspicuous figures in the music industry. Excluding the darker, criminal elements, the additional insight to the bustling glam rock-era of the L. A. Music scene proved fascinating, if frequently unsavoury. This worthy piece is Aerosmith-centric, featuring earnest, in-depth interviews with victim Julie Holcomb, Steven Tyler's then-teenaged girlfriend whose grooming ordeal culminates in tragedy. Look Away also features the greatly disturbing details of The Runaways bass player Jackie Fuch's assault by the band's unspeakably vile, predatory manager. The section on Axl Rose seemed undernourished, the band's ex-manager sounding deliberately vague when discussing the controversial singer's aggressively abhorrent off-stage behaviour. Victim Sheila Kennedy's graphic description of her brutal treatment by a psychotic-sounding Rose is distressing. There also seemed to be many, no less abusive characters on the periphery; liggers, DJs, equally predatory hangers on who eagerly profited from their repeated proximity to these debased rockers, it will prove interesting to see if any of these abusers shall ever see their deserved day in court.