Pearl Jam Say Festival Gig is Last in a 'Long Time'

Pearl Jam may be headed for a prolonged break after the band claimed at a gig in Portugal that their performance would be 'their last' for a long time.

The band played at Lisbon's Optimus Alive festival on Sunday night, July 11, and told the crowd the revelation soon after the start of their set, reports NME.

Frontman Eddie Vedder had to try out his Portuguese skills, reading from a sheet of paper in the crowd's native tongue, as he told them of their plans for taking a hiatus.

He said, "Thank you for coming to our last show. Not our last ever, but our last in a long time."

The unexplained statement will come as shock to many, with the band releasing 'Backspacer' in 2009 to a warm critical reception.

The grunge veterans also recently headlined the Friday installment of the Hard Rock Calling festival at London's Hyde Park, with support coming from the likes of the Gaslight Anthem and the Hives.

As previously reported by Spinner, an unreleased Pearl Jam demo was leaked onto the Internet last month, but the track – entitled 'Better Days' – is said to be an outtake from the days when the band were working on 'Riot Act', which was released in 2002.