On December 4th 1971,  'some stupid with a flare gun, burned the place to the ground..'. The Montreux Casino in Switzerland burnt to the ground on December 4th, 1971 during a gig by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. The incident inspired Deep Purple's 1973 hit, 'Smoke On The Water'. (live version is my favorite)

In 1967 the Casino became the venue for the Montreux Jazz Festival. Music promoter Claude Nobs, saved several young people who, thinking they would be sheltered from the flames, had hidden in the casino from the blaze.

A recording of the outbreak and fire announcement can be found on a Frank Zappa Bootleg album titled 'Swiss Cheese/Fire'

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