No, I believe that it was 3 hours before the show. Yes, he can say that he wasn't surprised by the phone call but it definitely caught him off guard. When Jon was on that stage during that first show without Richie, to me that was Jon with his guide down, showing his true side, his vulnerable side, in a way. When he spoke that night, he spoke as Jon who just heard that his best friend, his guitar player wasn't coming on stage that night. I'm paraphasing here because I can't remember the exact quote but he spoke along the lines about getting the phone call, either cancelling the show or going ahead and how if there was a time that he needed the audience, that was the time. He was shit scared that night wondering WTF happens now and when your main guitarist on stage is Bobby, no wonder the man was freaked.

Then Phil X came on board and Jon became the CEO again, the business man and the show must go on. That night he looked worried and concern. Then he turned pissed and angry. The quotes of Richie is always welcomed back, we love him etc etc. Even through I believe him, it's still a selling point for the band, still thinking ahead of the game. When he is giving interviews and saying nothing changes, the shows are still the same, that's not the Jon who misses his friend, that is the Jon the CEO and trying to sell the tour. He can not for the life of him say that the shows are different because right then, could be a reason for someone not to go. Even if he knows that the shows are different and he knows, WE know the shows are different, he will never let on.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Phil didn't come back. Understandable, the answer would have been get another guitar player but who at short notice and who knows the songs? Last time this happened, it seemed they were prepared and Phil knew about it before the public knew. This time, Phil knew when we knew. So if Phil couldn't have joined again, it might have been a different situation all together. They probably would have had to postphone some shows or Jon would have fought harder to get Richie back.