"REDFEST" roared the lead singer as screams showered the main stage, bodies spilled over the barriers and hundreds of hands sprayed the night sky.

The ocean of fans that flooded in for the headliners knew exactly the significance that word held.

This was their festival, and the sense of achievement, not just from the organisers, but from the fans was clear throughout.

With more than 2,000 tickets sold, Redfest earned its identity this year, carving it out from festivals nationwide and putting Redhill firmly on the map.

The final crescendo shattered any illusion this troubled two-day festival was little more than a pipe dream just four years ago.

Rave-rockers Hadouken fired cathartic blasts from the floodlit platform overlooking the hundreds massed for their first time atop a festival bill.

Lead singer James Smith, 25, screamed with rage as his motley ensemble convulsed and shook on stage, guitars jabbing at the crowd.

"They were wild" he told me in their trailer after the set, "it was an incredible atmosphere out there tonight."

Fresh from Guilfest the previous weekend, the five-piece act from Leeds pulled no punches on stage, marking their territory as the top dogs on Saturday night.

James said: "There should be more festivals like this, it's so cheap and fans get so much for their money."

Teenagers, who made up the vast majority of the festival-goers, paid £35 for two days camping, slightly more on the door without a prior booking.

The price stacks up well next to the larger festivals like Glastonbury, where tickets cost up to £150, or even Guilfest at £110 for two days.

But fans of all ages, including parents and young children, descended on the fledgling festival on Friday, July 23, and camped until Sunday morning.

The main stage drew the largest crowds on both nights, with the un-plugged feel of the acoustic tent providing solace and shade for others.

A second big top, the dance tent, doubled as the bar and ebbed rhythmic pulses into the early hours after the main acts had long finished.

The sense of community was evidence on the campsite, a veritable shanty town when I arrived at Robins Cook Farm, South Nutfield, in the late afternoon on Friday.

Campfires were already smoking amid the florescent swathe of nylon and canvas, youngsters basking in the glorious sun that graced the entire weekend.

It was the friendly environment and scale of the operation that most appealed to those I spoke to, including the organiser Matt Nicholls.

He said: "It wouldn't want this to see Redfest grow to more than 5,000 people, I like the way we're keeping it a small festival."

A busy man, l managed to grab five minutes with him on Saturday afternoon, but even as we chatted by the main entrance, he was being badgered to locate more five pound notes for the tills.

"It's been great so far, really great. It's been it's been a long journey, but this year has been even more successful.

"I don't think we're quite turning a profit yet I would say, but it's getting close."

Matt, 56, a father-of-four, has struggled from day one to make the festival a self-supporting success, but one also that promotes local and young talent.

He said: "A lot of the bands here are local, this is their chance to play on a big stage and to a decent sized crowd.

"And the festival gives Redhill the chance to be the focus of youth culture, putting it on the big stage – I want people to think Redhill and think Redfest.

"I'm a life-long festival goer, and after the steam show stopped using this field, I thought maybe a festival would work – it was just a dream really."

His enthusiasm was shared by the many I spoke to during the weekend, his dream understood by the Redfest stalwarts of previous years.

Paul Froy and Carrera Batchelor were among a mob about seven men in their late teens or early twenties sheltering beneath a gazebo on Saturday afternoon.

Orange foam littered the grass beneath their feet, covered belongings, and filled the entrances of the surrounding tents – apparently a mattress had exploded.

Paul, 20, from Dorking, said: "Last night was great, although I can't really remember much of it.

"I couldn't afford Glastonbury, and this is my first festival. So far, so good, I'd definitely come again."

Carrera, 20, from Merstham, said: "To be honest I didn't come for the music, but the atmosphere, and it's so much cheaper than other festivals."

Smoke bellowed in my direction and with it the waft of sausages. Another group were making themselves at home.

Friends, Abbie, India and Alice journeyed to the festival on the train from Tonbridge in Kent.

Abbie Metcalfe, 18, said: "It wasn't difficult at all, even with all our camping gear – then we just got a taxi from Redhill station.

"I loved Floors and Walls last night, they were great, and Twin Atlantic were good too."

India Woodman, 18, said: "It's a really nice atmosphere here, everyone is really friendly. We've already met loads of people. I loved Floors and Walls last night."

Alice Wickman, 17, said: "I like the fact it's mostly young people here, there are a few poor teenagers with their parents by the looks of things though.

"It's been fun so far – it would be good if Redhill becomes known for Redfest."

Back-stage I spoke with Megan Chadwick who came to the first Redfest in 2007, which pulled crowds of roughly 200 despite featuring bigger acts like the Ordinary Boys and Newton Faulkner.

The 25-year-old from Reigate said: "I loved [Redfest 2007], it was great, it was like my own private little festival.

"I've seen it grow and grow, and this year's event has already beaten my expectations – it's been amazing so far.

"I'm not that interested in seeing big name bands, the festival atmosphere, especially at Redfest, is fantastic."

Headlining the main stage on Friday were Enter Shikari, a St Albans-based four-piece whose brand of post hard-core metal drew riotous cheers.

A steady flow of teenaged bodies rolled over the crowds during their chaos-fuelled hour-long performance.

Teens were plucked from the barriers by stage security, who were slammed for being heavy-handed mid set by the band's vocalist Roughton "Rou" Reynolds.

After the set, the band's tour manager told me they were holed up in their trailer "in a rage" about the security team's handling the youngsters.

Rou, 24, said: "They were treating those kids like criminals, frog marching them off, it's a rock show, it's as if [the security staff] hadn't done one before."

Talking of the gig, the band, who have spent the last year touring the US, agreed it was great to see Redfest taking off.

"We were glad to be asked, these small shows are so important."

On stage before them were Twin Atlantic, an emotional post-rock four-piece form Glasgow, hoping to follow the successes of the city's other big named acts like Biffy Cyro and Mogwai, who they also name as influences.

Singer and guitarist, Sam McTrusty, 22, told me: "I hope [Redfest] works, but it's going to be difficult, these independent festivals really struggle financially, but are often the most fun.

"There's a great atmosphere here, people are friendly."

I spoke to Dave Boswell, 26, director of Lingfield-based Definitive Security, which covered the event, and put to him the comments from the Enter Shikari front-man.

He said: "Yes, I heard they said something on stage about not treating [the crowd surfers] badly.

"We're security staff at the end of the day, we're trained to protect people, and when we were pulling people from the crowd, we were very careful."

Dave said he felt the behaviour of the vast majority of festival-goers was remarkable, and his staff had little trouble to contend with.

Smoking an old-fashioned pipe, bought in a pound shop, and baring a chest thick with hair, Chris Jageurs, 19, told me he "was loving" this year's event.

The Art and Design student, from Oxted, said: "I'd definitely come again, we came back this time after coming last year, and it's been even better.

"I really enjoyed Enter Shikari, but for me the main attraction was the festival atmosphere – we came with about 20 guys, and have met loads of people.

"I went to T in the Park [festival] in Leeds, it was much bigger, but it's been a better festival experience here."

But the as the crowds flowed from the main stage, filled the dance tent and flooded the campsite – it was clear the tide had turned for Redfest.