I'd like to see Phil and Richie together onstage shredding the shit out of some solos. But if Richie was ever to return, I'm almost certain Jon would keep Shanks around. And that guy has no stage presence whatsoever whereas Phil and Richie could take some of the "showmanship-burden" off Jon's shoulders.
The band is technically decent right now, but that's where it ends unfortunately. You can play the same or similar chords as the original, but it's just not the same. Just listening to Bad Name from this tour hurts...no talking about Jon's voice, but all the subtle nuances and the feel Richie had (even up until 2013) are gone and the song is bland. Richie's bluesy approach and Phil's powerful hard-rock attitude could breath some new life into the band's music. Let's face it, guitar-wise the last record has been a sad joke and nothing more.