July 8-10, Montreux, Switzerland: paying tribute to the legend that surrounds us, PJ Harvey, The National, Deep Purple, Yamè and more give us more “I was there” moments “We all came out to Montreux, on the Lake Geneva shoreline ,” growls Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, erupting after what could arguably be the most iconic riff ever gets a bigger reaction than any guitar part could – not least because it marks a homecoming of sorts. The rock legends hail from London, but ‘Smoke On The Water’ was born here. Written about the fire and destruction of the Montreux Casino at a Frank Zappa show in 1971, it’s as much a record of the history of rock as it is one of rock’s most historically important tracks.
You feel it tonight as the local mayor and dignitaries gather with the sold-out crowd to rock out and watch dry ice from smoke bombs crawl across the lake behind a background of mountains at the 58th Montreux Jazz Festival . The Guinness Book Of World Records crowned Deep Purple as “the globe’s loudest band” in their ‘70s heyday, and you’d be forgiven for thinking they were trying to reclaim their title tonight. Bones rattle and teeth shake as the band shred into the night, providing a worldie of a set for this “unbelievable, formidable, magnificent, superb” audience.
Alice Cooper at Montreux Jazz Festival 2024. Credit: LionelFlusin It takes a lot to follow Alice Cooper , who brings snakes, zombies, camp comedy and a whole lot of West End theatric.