Sam Ogden, drummer of UK post-hardcore band Static Dress, is set to play The UK Drum Show 2026 main stage. It’s a moment he still finds difficult to fully comprehend.
Speaking ahead of the event, Sam reflected on what it means to be given such a prominent platform at one of the biggest drum events in the country, admitting the experience already feels “surreal”.
“It’s going to be crazy, man. I’m trying to put myself in that moment and it just doesn’t feel real yet,” he said.
But beneath the excitement is a deeper sense of perspective. Sam’s journey is rooted firmly within the drumming community itself. He isn’t someone who has dropped into the scene, but someone shaped by it.
Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, with a drummer father and a family full of musicians, Sam’s early exposure to music came naturally. From toy kits as a toddler to early lessons and school music nights, drums quickly became the centre of his world.
“I just became obsessed,” he explained. “I’d go to school thinking about getting back home to play.”
That obsession soon turned into live performance, with Sam playing his first gigs at just nine or ten years old before progressing into local bands and eventually joining Static Dress during a pivotal period around 2020.
His rise, however, has not been without its surreal milestones… from performing at Download Pilot, the first major festival after COVID, to supporting major international acts and playing increasingly larger stages across the UK and Europe.
Now, preparing to perform at The UK Drum Show, Sam finds himself reflecting on a full-circle moment: once a young attendee at drum clinics, now stepping onto the very stage he once watched in awe.
“I was sitting there thinking it would be mental to play this show one day… and now I am,” he said.
Despite his growing success, Sam is refreshingly open about experiencing imposter syndrome ahead of the performance.
“You do feel it, of course. There are people I’ve grown up watching on that stage. But I’ve been told I deserve to be there, so I’m just going to give it everything.”
When asked what advice he would give to young drummers watching from the crowd, Sam kept it simple: persistence.
“Never give up. Keep practicing. I’m no different from anyone else… I’m just a lad from Stoke who started playing drums and kept going.”
He also paid tribute to the wider drumming community, praising its humility and support. “Drummers are just the nicest people. There’s no ego. Everyone wants to help each other.”
For his main stage set, Sam promises a performance rooted in energy and personality, featuring material from Static Dress alongside a focused drum solo.
“I’m going to play my heart out. I just want to give everything I’ve got.” And while nerves are firmly on the table, so is gratitude. For the journey and the opportunity.
“I just want to make everyone proud.”
