MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
STAGE ON THE WATER
Montreux Jazz Festival ’ s temporary mainstage , built on Lake Geneva , proved so popular this year that CEO Mathieu Jaton has been repeatedly pressed to make it a permanent fixture . He tells Access how providing an inimitable experience for artists and fans alike is paying dividends and driving international expansion
This year , Deep Purple returned to Montreux Jazz Festival ( MJF ) for a headline show during which they performed Smoke On The Water just a stone ’ s throw from where a devastating fire at a 1971 Frank Zappa gig inspired the band ’ s signature song . It was not only a gig that brought the band full circle but on top of the very water they have been singing about for five decades . With the stage framed by incredible views of the mountains behind , and pyrotechnics being set off across the lake , it was a stunning element of the event ’ s 58th edition .
Launched in 1967 , MJF has long been a music mecca that ’ s proven an irresistible draw for many of the world ’ s most revered musicians , including Prince , David Bowie , Miles Davis and Elton John to name but a tiny fraction . The festival ’ s allure was not limited to its spectacular setting , on the shore of Lake Geneva and framed by the French Alps , but also the attention to detail its flamboyant founder Claude Nobs lavished on artists to make sure they were well taken care of , both on and off stage . Nobs tragically died in 2013 but his chalet in the hills remains packed with the remnants of the many star-packed parties he held there . However , a more powerful legacy is the way in which the MJF team continue to echo Nobs ’ passion for ensuring artists can have high quality recordings of their performances , and that while they are on stage the sound quality is second to none .
Meyer Sound has overseen sound provision for MJF for no less than 38 years . “ Our decades-spanning
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