I'm excited for the Monaco concert but if he simply performs the same tracks with the same arrangements from the 3-year old area tour then yes, I'll be dissapointed. I can't speak for other fans (casual fans or not).
I've been thinking this may in fact be his last "large-scale" outdoor concert. Not nessasarly of his own choosing but the possibility is there. His peak was Moscow in 1997 and he hasn't attenped anything like that since.
If it's true he didn't "have time" to work on new material and improved arrangements then his days as a creative force and innovative artist are well behind him. Someone of his caliber and influence doesn't have much room for excuses. You either do the work, or you don't.
Monaco presents a unique opportunity to inject much needed energy and enthusiasm into his work. If I were him I WOULD add a live band, I WOULD play as much live as possible and I WOULD play a mix of classics and lesser known material to create a unique special mood and event for everyone involved. Something memorable and not comparable to past shows.
But I WOULD NOT use this event as a way to simply play the same songs and arrangements from the past 3 years....that would be a huge mistake.
Personally, for an artist of his age, I think he's just stuck in his ways and the end result is often stale artistry. He can very easily fall back on his past accomplishments and songs rather than take the time to experiment and innovate. For example, I think he simply doesn't want to bother with adding a "real band" and creating new arrangements around that. Too much work and effort for him. Why should he create a new song for the iconic laser harp when old Rendezvous will do just fine?
Consider that his last MAJOR musical effort was Metamorphoses; that was over 10 years ago. Since then we've had little side projects (Sessions 2000, GOL), compilations (AERO, Essentials) and one very weak album (T&T) that he admits was a mistake. Overall, since 2000, his creative output has been rather unimpressive and he simply doesn't seem interested or inspired in terms of new musical ideas and direction. Think about it for a moment: only ONE major musical effort in the past 10 years. (I love Metamorphoses BTW). That's a serious decrease in output. In America, we call that "going down hill".
All opinions expressed are my own and I'm entitled to them. I hope I'm proven wrong but until then..
Peace from the USA..