You more or less can't leave your house any night of the week without running into some kind of noise/avant-garde jazz/&c show. It is impossible to book a decent punk show downtown anymore since every bar is booked every night with noise or metal bands.

As for Fouf's, I think that place is frequented more by CEGEP kids and "le hotties" than messengers. You won't see me out on my fixie this week (I got hit pretty good by a turning car on Friday), but my friends and I usually hang out at this punk pub called Yer Mad. They have the best hard cider on tap and a variety of "mixed drinks" that can be made with the ciders. I would also recommend Les Minots up on the main for pastis traditionel, though it is mostly just old french dudes who hang out there.