Dave Grohl says Foo Fighters taking hiatus after 18 years

(CNN) -- Dave Grohl has taken his last bow... for now. The Foo Fighters guitarist and lead singer released a statement thanking fans for their support, and confirming that the band is taking a hiatus after 18 years together.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think Foo Fighters would make it this far," Grohl writes. "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."

He went on to say, "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..."

Grohl hinted at the news on Saturday while playing the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Without making a big deal out of it, we don't have any shows after this," he said.