He called members of Throbbing Gristle " wreckers of civilisation " in 1976 in a row over public funding of the arts . He also criticised Scottish performers Simple Minds and Annie Lennox for taking part in the 1988 Wembley Stadium Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert , describing them as " left-wing scum " . Fairbairn was quoted : " These so-called stars like Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr are just out to line their own pockets ... . and what Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr said at Wembley came out of no love for Nelson Mandela . It came from a desire to make money . " Fairbairn was knighted in 1988
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Nicholas Fairbairn