attracting the word 's biggest bands to its iconic stage - but everything changed in 1984 when heavy metal band motorhead played a gig so loud it literally began to bring the house down .
as the crowd went wild over the group 's unique ear-shattering brand of music , the ceiling cracked and pieces of plaster began to fall on the audience - ending the concert and the life of the variety theater in one deafening shriek .
the 20,000 sq ft main stage hosted the likes of metallica , the dead kennedy 's and r.e.m. before becoming an iconic music venue .