Dave Grohl confirms Foo Fighters' hiatus, band 'going away'

Foo Fighters

Credit: Steve Gullick

Dave Grohl has stepped out to confirm that the Foo Fighters are taking a break, but clarifies that the rock act is far from breaking up.

In an open letter to fans, the Foos frontman said he was "serious" about not knowing when the group would perform live again, and that it's a "good thing for all of us to go away for a while." The remarks come on the heels of a comment he made at the Reading Festival in the U.K. over the weekend, where he told concert-goers, "You guys realize we've got a lot of songs to play. It's the last show of the tour and it's the last show for a long time.''

It marked the final confirmed show during the Foo Fighters' stint in support of their newest album, 2011's "Wasting Light."

Grohl, in the meanwhile, will be jabbing away at his Sound City documentary, which has been at least a year in the making and is "the biggest, most important project I've ever worked on." The film will be for worldwide release in the "very near future," and will also have an accompanying album.

You can check out the trailer for the doc -- which has been going by the title "Sound City" as of late -- here.

In summary, Foo Fighters aren't finished fighting, but are taking a break. See you in theaters

Here is the letter in full:

Hey everyone...

Dave here. Just wanted to write and thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for another incredible year. (Our 18th, to be exact!) We truly never could have done any of this without you...

Never in my wildest dreams did I think Foo Fighters would make it this far. I never thought we COULD make it this far, to be honest. 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...

But, no gold watches or vacations just yet... I'll be focusing all of my energy on finishing up my Sound City documentary film and album for worldwide release in the very near future. A year in the making, it could be the biggest, most important project I've ever worked on. Get ready... it's coming.

Me, Taylor, Nate, Pat, Chris, and Rami... I'm sure we'll all see you out there... somewhere...

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Dave
 

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.