If there is one person in the world, who can't recongise Prayer, they must be from another planet!!

Just a question about when this happened last time. I know that Richie just missed one show in 2007 but did the fans know that it would be just the one or were we left in the dark, back then like now? Was it annouced prior to the next show, that Richie will be back or was it a matter of, you went to the show, Richie was there?