"Is that really ...?"

Lower Austria: Hollywood star mingles with Metallica fans

Would you have recognized him? A "Krone" reader reporter met Dave Bautista in the "Snakepit" at Metallica in Ebreichsdorf.(Bild: Kronen Zeitung/Leserreporter M.)

What you don't experience in tranquil Ebreichsdorf! A former wrestling and now Hollywood star mingled with the 60,000 or so spectators at the big Metallica concert on Saturday evening: Dave Bautista (55) got up close and personal with the metal legends.

Anyone who managed to get into the so-called snakepit (the area directly in front of the stage) could not only experience Metallica face to face, but also get a selfie with Dave Bautista. The almost two-meter-tall ex-wrestler willingly posed with fans, depending on whether his security allowed it.

"A lot of people recognized him but weren't quite sure - a friend just went up and asked. The manager was also there, and he allowed us to take a photo!" says a delighted reader reporter M. "But later people left him alone, Metallica was more important."

Metallica frontman James Hetfield (60) in action(Bild: Kronen Zeitung/Leserreporter M.)

Metallica frontman James Hetfield (60) in action(Bild: Kronen Zeitung/Leserreporter M.)

And what is a top US star like Bautista ("Guardians of the Galaxy", "Dune", "Spectre") doing in the district of Baden in Lower Austria of all places? Did he come just to see Metallica? Probably not. As the "Krone" found out, the 55-year-old and his entourage are currently working 75 kilometers away from Ebreichsdorf, namely in the Slovakian capital Bratislava.

A disaster film called "Afterburn" is being shot there, with Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson (75) as the leading actors. The shoot is likely to continue for a few more weeks - it's quite possible that the crew will make further trips, so keep your eyes peeled in Vienna too!

Incidentally, Dave Bautista left the "Racino Rocks" site in Lower Austria before the end of the concert - as did many others who wisely wanted to avoid the chaos of leaving Ebreichsdorf. Numerous Krone readers reported waiting for hours.