New 'Springsteen Liberty Hall' photo book gives rare glimpse of pre-fame E Street Band

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are not like other rock 'n' roll groups.

“I noticed something different in the beginning,” said photographer Nicki Germaine, who met the group in March of 1974 at Liberty Hall in Houston. “The backstage area was very subdued compared to other groups. There were no groupies. There were no drugs. There were a few long neck beers, but that was about it. ... Bruce was pretty much sitting off by himself with a guitar on his lap.”

Subdued backstage, but fire onstage.

Germaine, then the house photographer for the tiny Liberty Hall, captured the band onstage and off during their four-show run of the venue.

More than 90 photos are in the striking new picture book, “Springsteen Liberty Hall,” which features a forward by Springsteen, reflections by Garry Tallent and an essay by Robert Santelli.

“Nicki caught us in all our wide-eyed glory at the exotic places (virtually everywhere) that our talents would take us,” Springsteen writes. “These are photos from 'before.' It wouldn’t last much longer, but here it is. Enjoy these wonderful photographs.”

This is before they were billed as the E Street Band, and it's a rare look at the short-term lineup of Springsteen, Tallent, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, David Sancious and Ernest “Boom” Carter on drums.

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Germaine's concert pics make you feel like you're on stage with the E Street Band because, well, the stage was 2 feet off the ground and barely separated from the audience. She also took a few relaxed portraits of the band outside in the Texas sun, and backstage, where a shirtless Springsteen is decompressing after a show.

“I had full access to the backstage and where I wanted to go shoot in the venue,” Germaine said. “The guys, I think, were very intrigued by having a 26-year old gal shooting their pictures, and they certainly weren't used to having anyone hanging around and taking their pictures a lot.”

That would change about a year later when “Born to Run” was released. The band would start recording the classic a month after the Liberty Hall shows. The photos from Liberty Hall were all but lost to history until Tallent, who remained in contact with Germaine through the decades, called to say a friend was working on the project and would be interested in seeing them.

Tallent and Germaine would later become a couple. She's now on tour with the E Street Band, who come to the Prudential Center in Newark on Friday, April 14. Before then, Germaine will talk and sign copies of “Springsteen Liberty Hall” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at the Transparent Clinch Gallery in Asbury Park.

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The Liberty Hall shows left an impression. The Boss referenced the long-gone venue in the lyrics of “This Hard Land” a few decades later.

“Nobody knew anything,” said Germaine of Springsteen and the E Street Band's future stardom. “They just wanted to play music.”

Go: “Springsteen Liberty Hall” book signing with Nicki Germaine, 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, Transparent Clinch Gallery, 210 5th Ave., Asbury Park, free with registration; transparentclinchgallery.com; springsteenlibertyhall.com.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Springsteen Liberty Hall book uncovers pre-fame E Street Band