It was fortunate that the fire occurred so late in the year, as the last of the tourists had either headed to warmer climbs or returned home ahead of the incident. Hundreds of employees could only watch as their livelihood vanished in the conflagration.
Montreux Jazz Festival promoter Claude Nobs, on hand, joined in on the efforts to make sure the building was clear of fans and staff. The city fire services fought the blaze and managed to keep it from spreading beyond the complex. Once the tongues of fire started to lick as high as the ceiling, the building was quickly consumed. After making an announcement to the crowd to clear the room, the band quickly exited the stage, abandoning their instruments and gear in the name of saving their skins. Home of the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, the casino saw many a legend pass through its doors, though the last one left in a hurry.įrank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were onstage at the Casino de Montreux when a member of the crowd set off a flare, indoors, endangering all in attendance. The stakes ended up being higher than anyone could imagine. Jet-setters and vacationers from all over the European continent flocked to the hotspot, eager to take a chance, risk it all and have fun doing it. The Casino de Montreux was a gambling hot spot on the Lake Geneva shore that hosted concerts regularly in part of its massive multi-building complex. On this day in 1971, a casino burned, a band’s equipment was destroyed, and one of rock’s most recognizable guitar riffs was inspired… all thanks to an idiot with a flare gun.
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