Foo Fighters Hiatus 2012: Dave Grohl Calls for a Band Break, Not Breakup

During a New York City performance at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, Sept. 29, longtime Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl hinted to the crowd that this might be the rock band's last live show for quite some time. Grohl confirmed a 2012 band hiatus with an open letter to fans released on Tuesday, insinuating that a Foo Fighters break doesn't necessarily mean a perminant band breakup. 43-year-old Grohl would like to focus some more time on his upcoming documentary, "Sound City."

In the open letter, Grohl writes that the Foo Fighters are ready to head "back in the garage for a while" instead of constantly being in the rock 'n' roll limelight. Here's the message in its entirety:

"There were times when I didn't think the band would survive. There were times when I wanted to give up. But... I can't give up this band. And I never will. Because it's not just a band to me. It's my life. It's my family. It's my world.

Yes... I was serious. I'm not sure when the Foo Fighters are going to play again. It feels strange to say that, but it's a good thing for all of us to go away for a while. It's one of the reasons we're still here. Make sense? I never want to not be in this band. So, sometimes it's good to just ... put it back in the garage for a while."

The Foo Fighters have been together for 18 years (since 1994) and have release a total of seven studio albums, the last being 2011's "Wasting Light." So fans can't really blame them for wanting to take a break from constant recording and touring.

Rumors that the Foo Fighters were "officially breaking up" came after Grohl announced this to the crowd at Saturday's Global Citizen Festival: "Without making a big deal out of it, we don't have any shows after this. This is it, man. We don't have any ones after this." Apparently his words were thrown totally out of proportion, which he why he released an official statement explaining the band's standing on Tuesday.

So there you have it, Foo Fighter fans - there may not be a chance to see them live anytime soon, but don't give up hope for new Foo Fighter music eventually. In the meantime, here's a sneak-peak of Grohl's upcoming documentary "Sound City."