John has rarely played outside of the UK in recent years, and I think a year of mostly international shows is looong overdue!
I think some time between tours/gigs is a good thing, otherwise there can often be a sense of the over familiarity and lesser excitement.
It's quite a good idea to just have one major gig, but it's a real shame it's a midweek one, as at the same time has probably isolated a lot of fans. For example I can't make it due to work commitments, which is annoying given that it's the only full-on UK gig this year
But I'll still be able to enjoy the new CDs, so it's not the end of the world... unless he's planning to announce his retirement from touring!!